Assimilation
by tinuelena
Summary: As the Vulcans rebuild their lives on Pomonus, danger in the form of a Borg cube approaches. Uhura faces her demons, Spock and Jim hold fast to each other, and redemption is proven possible in more ways than one. #3 in "First Contact" series.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Credit to sexy-jess for providing one huge plot point for this, which was really the main inspiration. This pretty much wouldn't exist without her. :D

Thanks for all your input, comments, and reviews—you are all awesome—I hope you like this! I'll try to continue being speedy in my updates but I just started summer semester so it might be a bit slower. :(

Note on the Borg: _"As of 1484 they were reported as controlling only a handful of systems in the Delta Quadrant, but by 2373 they had assimilated thousands of worlds. In addition to this stronghold in the Delta Quadrant, the Borg also dispatched vessels throughout the galaxy via transwarp conduits."_ –Memory Alpha

So, I know that they weren't really aware of the Borg in Kirk and Spock's day (we're in 2285/2286 here) even though they were active, but it's a new timeline so I claim my right to play around a little. :)

1.

xxxxx

"Are you sure about this?" Kirk turned to his first officer. Their roles had been temporarily switched; Spock held the controls while Kirk sat in the co-pilot's seat. "I mean, this isn't exactly—well, _logical._"

Bemused, Spock raised an eyebrow. "Jim, are you—nervous?"

"No," he lied, smoothing out his Starfleet uniform. "No, not at all."

The pair were on a shuttle to Pomonus, the planet on which Spock's elder self had chosen to place the Vulcan colony. Nine thousand Vulcan survivors traveled with them—not including Synok and his supporters, who would remain on Earth until they stood trial by the Federation for their crimes against the Chenari. Officially, Kirk and Spock were here to bring these Vulcan survivors to their new planet. Unofficially, Spock had a compulsion to bring Jim home with him. He wanted to share what was left of Vulcan society with his partner. And though it was, as Kirk had said, illogical, Spock wanted to introduce him to his father. He knew that if there was one Vulcan who would understand his attraction to a human, it would be his father.

As they cut through the Pomonian atmosphere, a world converse to Kirk's expectations materialized outside his window. He knew Vulcan had been a desert, largely arid and hot. But Pomona's terrain rolled out before him like an alien jungle; rolling hills, splashes of colorful flora, canopies of trees with leaves as green as Vulcan blood. As they neared the surface, he understood. It was all growing from a fine sand, so fine that it looked like piles of sifted brown flour. Upon stepping out of the ship, he nearly faceplanted into the ground; the pliable surface would take some time to get used to, for sure.

Three Vulcan elders came forth to greet them. Spock raised his hand in the Vulcan salute. "Tynak. We come to serve," he stated, the standard Vulcan diplomatic greeting.

The eldest Vulcan returned the gesture. "Your service honors us."

"As we discussed, the 8,917 Vulcan survivors are aboard the _Calliope,_" Spock reported. "They await instruction."

"Perhaps you and Captain Kirk should come with us," Tynak said.

Spock and Kirk wordlessly followed the elders into a large structure built of soft-hued sandstone. Spock lifted his eyes; above the door, the phrase _Logic is the cement of our civilization, with which we ascend from chaos, using reason as our guide_ was engraved on the arch.

As they entered the hall, Spock turned to Kirk. "This is the temporary meeting place of the Vulcan Council," he explained, and took a seat in one of the low-backed chairs. Kirk sat beside him.

Tynak, who was obviously the leader, fixed his eyes on Spock. "We must discuss assimilation."

"Perhaps 'integration' would be a better term?" suggested Spock.

Tynak paused. "Yes. Integration. You are aware that the Vulcan colony is quite different from the world to which we were acclimated. The Vulcans with you have obviously been living in a different culture for months. You have interacted with them; do you foresee any problems?"

"No. Synok and those who supported him are not with us. The Vulcans on the shuttle only wish to return to their people and assist in rebuilding our lives."

Tynak inclined his head. "Synok remained on Earth to stand trial before the Federation?"

Spock and Kirk exchanged a look.

"At first," Kirk said slowly. "They've kind of escaped. But we don't think they're heading here."

Tynak raised an eyebrow, and Kirk shuddered, privately creeped out by the likeness of Vulcan facial expressions. He'd seen that same look plenty of times from Spock, especially when he suggested trying something new in the bedroom. Spock usually trusted him, though, so he was hoping Tynak would do the same.

"And what reasons do you have to expect they are not?"

"Well, they don't have the coordinates, for one," Kirk replied. "They have no idea where you are. They don't even have the name of the planet. And outside Chenar, we offered to give him coordinates if he'd take his ship out of the quadrant. No such luck. I don't think he wants anything to do with you guys."

Beside Kirk, Spock's lips twitched. He was perfectly aware that no Vulcan elder had heard such casual talk in their presence before.

Tynak sat stiffly, even for a Vulcan. "Are they aware of the new—mating requirements?"

_Not one of you can just come out and say it, can you?_ Kirk laughed inwardly.

"Yes. I have informed them of the responsibility to choose a mate. Some have already done so. I have also informed them of the injection to induce _pon farr."_

Every member of the Vulcan Council looked taken aback, as though Spock had just divulged a great secret in front of a stranger. Though Spock immediately realized his _faux pas_, he decided it would be best not to dig himself a deeper hole by explaining how his Captain knew about that particular bit of Vulcan physiology.

"Very well," Tynak said finally. "Bring them out of the ship and we will begin to issue domiciles."

xx

"Sanik and T'Peil, your temporary residence will be with—" He looked at the list in surprise. "With Stonn and T'Pring."

T'Pring, whose belly swelled with child, bowed slightly. "Spock. I had hoped you would bring your mate. I must admit my curiosity to meet her."

"Actually—" Spock indicated Kirk, who was helping announce residences—"I did bring him."

"The Captain?" A note of surprise permeated her voice. "A Human man? Spock, that is—"

"Most illogical," Spock said, completing her thought. "You would not say so, T'Pring, if you knew him as I know him."

She ignored this. "I should not be surprised at your irrational decision. After all, you chose Starfleet over the Vulcan Science Academy."

"Without Starfleet," Spock said levelly, "you would not be living here today." Coldly, he turned his back on her and returned to giving housing assignments.

xx

Later that night, Spock and Kirk arrived at Sarek's modest home, a square building with little regard to decoration or flair. It was far from the home of Spock's childhood, a sprawling villa with a terrace overlooking a beautiful desert canyon, on which he and his father often sat playing Kal-toh. He felt a stab of longing at the memory.

"I must admit, Spock," Sarek said, as they sat down to dinner in the small kitchen, "I was unsure when you turned down admission to the Vulcan Science Academy in favor of Starfleet."

_Again? Must we continue to revisit this decision in every conversation? _Spock picked up his fork and stabbed a piece of fruit which resembled a cantaloupe in color, but a strawberry in size.

"I am impressed, however, with what you have accomplished while there."

He inclined his head. "Thank you."

Sarek raised an eyebrow at Kirk, who was busy examining a pink-colored bean. Feeling the gaze upon him, he looked up.

"What are you doing?" demanded Sarek.

Kirk was confused. "Eating."

Spock's lips twitched. "Vulcans do not handle food with their fingertips."

"But you touch food on the _Enterprise," _Kirk pressed, remembering the infamous cherry tomato explosion.

"Unfortunately, Starfleet only equips its crew with sporks—which are not suitable substitutes for the tools we use." He indicated the array of eating utensils on the table. "I am forced to improvise."

Kirk nodded, dropping the bean.

"So," Sarek said, his voice grating, "I encountered T'Pring earlier this evening."

It was at this moment that Kirk realized Vulcans really weren't too different from humans, at least in one respect. He sensed a very real tension in the room.

"She informed me that you have brought your mate to Pomonus." He turned to Kirk.

Kirk didn't know exactly what he was supposed to say at this point, so he did what he would have done in his earlier days when a girl brought up the topic of commitment over dinner—stuffed his face full of food. Luckily, he had Spock to speak up in his place.

"Yes," Spock said calmly. "I assume that she informed you whom I have chosen, since you are glaring at Jim."

Sarek turned to his son in surprise. "Do not mistake this for anger, Spock. Your decision in choosing a mate is most illogical."

Spock stared his father down. "You told me," he said levelly, "that you married my mother because you loved her. Now you chastise me for making what amounts to the same choice?"

"That was in another time." Sarek's voice was vaguely wistful. "A time when reproduction was not a necessity for every Vulcan."

"You want me to choose a female in order to mate."

"Yes. That is my wish. That is the logical choice, Spock. Do not forget T'Plana-Hath's wisdom. 'Logic is the cement of our civilization—'"

Spock stood up, his eyes ablaze. "I have seen many civilizations now, Father. Though we may be intellectually superior to most, and at peace with our neighbors, the suppression of our emotions is harming us."

"Harming us?"

"If you felt for my mother what I feel for Jim, you understand me when I say that logic must take emotion into account."

"I have lived for over a century, Spock. Do not presume to know more—"

"You have no human experience," Spock interrupted stiffly, "and thus it is logical to presume that you will never understand the human emotions which aided my decision. This is acceptable to me, so long as you agree to respect my choice."

Sarek stared back at him.

"I see. Good night, Father."

Kirk quickly rose, following him out. "I'm sorry," he said instantly, not knowing what else to say.

"I have never understood the human predilection to apologize for actions that are not their fault."

He shrugged. "Just our nature, I guess."

Spock inclined his head. "My mother," he mused, "always used to tell me that she would be proud of me no matter what course of action I chose."

He draped an arm around Spock's shoulders. "I know you miss her. I'm sorry. I mean—I'm— well, I don't know any other way to say it."

"I appreciate your concern. But let us refrain from speaking of such things. I have been anxious to show you this."

He led Kirk into the thick forest. Trees towered above them. In the shade, it actually felt warmer; dense foliage trapped heat under the thick leaves. Fountains of fuchsias spilled from the knotted canopy of tree branches, specks of firefly-like light at their hearts, casting a soft golden light over the forest. Teal blooms, roselike in appearance, veined the smooth, twisted black trunks of the trees. But where moss and grass would grow in Earth's forests, where cool soil would give life, the fine brown Pomonian sand covered the forest floor.

They sat down against the the wide trunk of a tree; Kirk pinched a teal bloom from a vine with his fingertips. "The older you—he picked a hell of a place," Kirk said, pulling off his boots and socks. He dug his toes into the sand. "For the colony, I mean. It's really nice here."

"I am certain aesthetics were the least of his concerns in selecting a planet."

"Are you sure? There's got to be plenty of plain desert planets that looked more like Vulcan. I mean—not that—I'm sure Vulcan was nice—" _Damn it. _

Spock put a hand on his arm. "I admit, after visiting other planets, I found that I preferred Earth to Vulcan with regard to its flora and fauna. This planet seems to be the perfect balance between the climate of Vulcan and the beauty of Earth."

"Just like you, then. The best of both worlds."

Surprised, Spock turned to him, a small smile on his lips. "You know, Jim, you can be very endearing."

Embarrassed, he lifted his shoulders in a nonchalant shrug. "I try."

"No. That is precisely what I find endearing about you. You do not try." He let his fingertips brush the back of Kirk's hand, and he shivered.

"_Why_ is that so amazing?" Kirk demanded.

Spock just blinked. "That is how Vulcans kiss. Through our fingers."

"Through your—" He lost his breath for a moment. Flashbacks flooded his mind; that first long moment on the original _Enterprise, _when he and Spock stood quietly in the center of his cabin, fingers touching, foreheads together. He knew it had felt intimate—but he hadn't guessed it was a _kiss._ "Why did it take so long for me to figure this out?"

His lips twitched. "You did not figure it out. I told you."

Kirk stared up at the flickering fuchsias while Spock slowly traced patterns on his open palm. Vulcan letters, perhaps, staking a secret claim to Kirk's body and soul. Who knew? Who cared? It was bliss, here in this sand-dune jungle with his Vulcan lover, the flowers dancing in the evening breeze, an insect serenade in cello-like tones.

"Teach me," Kirk said suddenly.

Spock raised an eyebrow.

"To kiss like Vulcans do. You can kiss like a human." _And you're damn good at it, too. _"I want to learn the right way—"

Wordlessly, Spock aligned his fingertips with Kirk's. As the pads of their fingers connected, he absorbed that unique, unmistakable electricity which forced him to consciously remember how to breathe. The tiny flower-lights, even, seemed to glow a bit brighter.

Without any of the tentativeness Kirk was used to from his Vulcan lover, he began to move his fingers in soft, small circles. Sensations Kirk had never felt before exploded at his nerve endings, trickled through his veins, took hold of his skin. Spock pressed his hot palm against Kirk's cool one, intertwined their fingers, let his fingertips trail the back of Kirk's, over the knuckles, the cuticle, the tip of the fingernail. Kirk let out a satisfied sigh. _I never knew hands could be quite so sensual._

And then, in a flash of inspiration, he took Spock's hand in his. With a smirk, he took three of Spock's fingers into his mouth, letting his tongue flicker over the skin.

Spock's eyes became very wide and, for a very uncharacteristic moment, he was rendered completely speechless.

Then, he tackled his captain to the ground.

xx

[Kirk's brainstorm to put Spock's fingers in his mouth comes from Lanaea's "Home." According to her, I am allowed to use this idea without crediting, but that just doesn't feel right to me. So there you are.]


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Big hugs to all of you who review my story! Seeing your comments, no matter how long or short, make my day! Thanks so much… I love you guys! :D

**Fridayweed: **Yay! I have this stunning picture of Pomonus in my head and I'm just hoping I can describe it to you guys. lol. Spock Prime… perhaps… perhaps not… ;)

**missa: **Aww thanks! You too!

**Bloody's soul: **ohh, I love Vulcan kisses. They're so sweet.

**re-harakhti: **That would be bad. *cringe*

**NayNymic: **aww :D thanks, good to hear!

**lolasail4: **Yeah… just something about it, isn't there?

**hpets: **thanks! I feel bad for not being able to put a chapter up daily… stupid school. :(

**KatKola: **I accept it with humility. :)

**mediwitch3: **aww thank you! :D

**tilly-tally-tease: **I know, I always point at couples holding hands and tell my husband "On Vulcan, that would be considered PDA." lol I also love Kirk and his impulsiveness :)

**Mars-Eclipse: **Eff Sarek. We all know that logic doesn't matter. Even Spock knows! lol

**underneaththesheets: **hehe, I understand the typos… and I would totally choose him too :D

**DeAtHsTeNsHi: **ohh, I do too. They are my OTP of OTPs. Just the best.

**sexy-jess: **Of course! Yeah, usually when I write fanfic I'm not too careful about it… I'm actually a writer by trade. I also teach writing. Fanfic is just my side activity to get the juices flowing for more serious pieces. But I figured I'd actually let it all hang out on installment #3. I LOVE your long reviews and if I could give you a little trophy for them I would. I love that you like how I'm handling the characters. And I ALWAYS find myself thinking about the fingers! Typing, fixing things, etc., etc. It would be weird.

**my renji-kun: **Who doesn't love a good Spock tackle? I sure would. Yum.

**MeEksiNs: **no problem!  
**Andrina Sparda: **I have this issue with making Spock suffer, don't I? I'm going to have to give Kirk something to shoulder here. lol

**DaughterofDeath: **done!

**yumi2482: **thank you!

**Hikaru: **aww, well thanks! Happy K/S shippers = good thing. :)

**DizzyBaby: **Yup, silly Vulcans. lol

**Phoenixfire979: **I always loved how Spock has that defensive side.

**sesshomaru's fluff is mine: **Synok has a destiny to fulfill. I told you I had plot bunnies. :D

**Aisling-Siobhan: **thanks :D

xxxxx

"We have fallen victim to emotion. We will surely face the same end as our ancestors."

Synok, at the controls of the small ship they had stolen from the Federation, glared at his companion. "We did what was necessary."

"This is unnecessary." Surik sighed. "I should not have agreed to become your ally aboard the _Katar. _I should not have followed you to this shuttle. I—"

Suddenly, a robotic voice cut through the relative silence of their ship. "We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your ship. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile."

Vulcans would say that they do not panic. Synok, however, was quite close.

"Where is that coming from? Who are the Borg?"

"I do not know," said Synok. "I am unfamiliar with—"

The daunting message repeated itself. "We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your ship. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile."

Surik stared at the advancing cube. "What _is_ that?"

xx

The next thing he knew, Synok found himself staring into a forboding face. She was beautiful, in a way; but her skin, wet with a dewlike substance that was neither water nor sweat, revolted him. The assortment of tubes extending from the back of her head gave the impression that the skintight vinyl bodysuit she wore existed as more than a shell.

She stared at him, intrigued, until Synok could handle the silence no longer. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"I am the Beginning," she answered. Her voice was hollow; it rang in his head. "The End. The One who is Many."

"I do not understand."

"I am the Borg."

He raised an eyebrow, trying to fit all of this together. "Is that your title? Is "Borg" a leadership title, such as "President?"

Amused, she shook her head. "Allow me to show you."

Two Borg drones appeared, escorting a terrified Surik. Synok watched, horrified, as two needlelike tubes shot out from one drone's finger.

"What is he doing?" Synok demanded.

"We are injecting him with nanoprobes. These will connect him to the hive mind. Soon, they will begin to replicate and produce the neural transceiver—the body armor—the weapons he will need."

Sure enough, the cybernetics had begun to grow; Synok gaped in terror. "Surik?"

He turned. His skin had begun to fade to a pale gray.

"Surik."

He received a cold stare in return. "My designation is Eight of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix 94."

Synok gaped. "What have you done?"

"He is now part of the collective," said the Queen. "Part of the Borg. The first of Species 3259 to be assimilated."

"Assimilated—"

"We achieve perfection by combining the synthetic and the organic," explained the Queen. "We assimilate technology and species into the Collective to create a perfect whole, devoid of individuality. And now it is time for you to join us."

As the Borg drone who had assimilated Surik pierced his own flesh, Synok held his breath. He had no idea what this race of cybernetic drones was capable of. If he couldn't hold onto his mind, his individuality would vanish—and all hope for the Vulcan race would vanish right along with it.

xx

As Synok regained consciousness, he became aware of several cybernetic implants growing like metal skin over his body. Spreading. Multiplying. Becoming part of him. His Vulcan skin, he was sure, had turned gray like Surik's. And he had a splitting headache from rejecting complete assimilation. The strength and power of his Vulcan mind had saved him.

Thousands of voices buzzed in his mind, too many to sort out, too many to discern one from the rest; even the Queen. And yet, before he passed out again, he heard his worst nightmare come to fruition.

The Borg were headed to Pomonus.

xxxxx

Unaware of the terror headed their way, Spock and Kirk put the world from their mind as they lay under the cover of the Pomonian forest. The soft sand cradled Jim like a hammock as Spock came over him. "This is illogical," Spock whispered, as he drew his finger along Kirk's collarbone. "We have our own bed available. Someone could walk into the forest and spot us."

"That's what makes it exciting," Kirk replied.

Spock bent down to press his lips against Kirk's. "I did not suggest that we should stop."

Their lips met again, and Kirk plunged a hand into Spock's glossy hair, holding him there. As he inhaled the clean bamboo scent that was uniquely Spock, he let his eyes drift closed, yearning to concentrate only on the delicious fusion of their lips. When he finally opened them, he saw Spock, _his_ Spock, night-black hair crowned by the fuchsias above, by the hundreds of little flames, all arrayed by delicate tendrils of purple and pink.

"Your eyes," Kirk whispered, as Spock slipped inside of him, "are frustrating."

Spock raised an amused eyebrow. "Enlighten me."

"Mmm…"

"My eyes?"

"Not important." Kirk pulled him close.

"Vulcans are curious beings," Spock protested. "It will distract me if you fail to complete your sentence." A hint of a smile played on his lips.

He gazed up into Spock's indescribable eyes—almonds, maybe. Raindrops, lying on their bellies. A rich mahogany that exuded a human, emotive quality that was raw, yet refined. A perfection unattained in any other two eyes in the universe. "I just find it ironic," he finally said, "that a Vulcan would have a pair of eyes like yours."

"They betray my every emotion," Spock admitted, moving slowly within him. Kirk let out a soft groan, and Spock brought his torso down, playfully allowing their flesh to touch, just barely, just enough to make Kirk bite down on his lower lip in frustration.

"I didn't know Vulcans could tease."

"You have said it before—I am full of surprises." His lips twitched slightly.

Kirk grinned and pulled him down for a kiss, tangling their fingers together at the same moment, knowing it would put Spock's acute senses into overdrive.

His efforts paid off; Spock held him so tightly with his knees that, for a second, Kirk thought there might just be a _real_ Vulcan death grip. Spock moved—slowly at first, savoring the unique and exhilarating experience of being as close to Kirk as he could be—then faster, sensing both of their aching needs for release.

Desperately, Spock wished he could be in two places at once. It was not fair, he reasoned, to be selfish, to leave Jim bereft of a sensation like the blissful warmth he was enveloped in. But his hands braced him against the ground; his mouth was too far away.

"If it's that important to you," whispered Kirk, curling his own fingers around his length, and Spock inhaled sharply. _How did he know? Is it possible that a mind meld can be achieved through other physical contact? Perhaps because Jim and I are connected emotionally? Perhaps because we have previously melded at length… or, perhaps, my expression suggested my wishes…_

Kirk had the answer for the un-voiced question. He didn't need a mind meld to see into Spock's core. It was those eyes, two deep pools of jasper revealing his raw and unselfish desires.

And so he stroked himself, watching Spock's face intently—clearly this had to be a taboo in Vulcan society, as there was no _logical _reason for self-gratification. But they both knew that this was beyond logic. This was greater than logic.

If there was one thing Kirk had, it was incredible self-awareness. He was in control of himself. He could time it. As he watched Spock's face, he found that he could already identify all the signs of his first officer's impending release: jaw set and dropped slightly, the tingle-inducing moans issuing from deep in his throat, and the eyes which never looked away from him for even a moment when Spock was on the verge of ecstasy. He'd memorized Spock's face without even realizing it.

"Jim…" It was a whisper, and the name tasted good on his tongue, but Spock hypothesized that it would be even better if he could scream it, letting his guttural cry echo off the smooth bark of the trees.

And all of a sudden Spock burst from his chrysalis again, his emotion visible in more than his eyes. Kirk felt it in the way his fingers dug into the dirt, the urgency with which he moved, the green flush casting a glow over his pale face.

"Jim… _Jim…_"

Kirk felt all his control slip away on that syllable. "Spock… I'm—"

Spock gave no warning, just let go in one glorious rush, and Kirk followed suit.

Almost instantly, they fell asleep.

xx

Sarek walked down the main path to a somewhat familiar house. It was remarkable, simply because of the pot of red Earth petunias blazing up in the dusk beneath the light of a soft white lamp. With a heavy sigh, Sarek knocked on the door.

An older man, his face a wizened ghost of Sarek's younger son, opened the door. "Hello, Father."

"Spock. I require a conversation."

Spock Prime invited him inside and poured two cups of rose-hip tea, made from the sweet blue Pomonian blooms. They sipped in silence for a moment before Spock finally spoke.

"I sense a mild agitation, Father."

"I am a Vulcan," came the automatic reply. "You sense nothing. I harbor no emotion."

"May I inquire as to what you came to speak with me about?"

Sarek stared into his tea. "You."

He raised an eyebrow.

"The younger version of yourself." Sarek furrowed his brow. "Spock, we agreed to not speak about your past…"

"What is it that you have come to ask?"

"My son," said Sarek, "has returned with his chosen mate."

Spock leaned forward.

"It appears that he has chosen the captain of the starship on which he serves."

A bright smile, decidedly un-Vulcan, crossed the old man's face. "I am so glad that one of us got it right," he whispered.

Sarek raised an eyebrow.

"In my time," Spock explained, "Jim and I were the best of friends. It was a logical world. I married T'Pring. Jim spent his life being promiscuous with women. I tend to believe that we both ignored what was below the surface. It is still my greatest regret."

Sarek stared at him. "There is no logic in what you are saying."

"You married a human schoolteacher," Spock countered. "There is no logic in that."

"I was still able to reproduce with her."

"You _loved _her," pressed Spock. "That is what was important. Of all people, _you_ should understand your son."

"That is what he said to me," Sarek mused.

Spock inclined his head.

Sarek pondered this for a moment. "Can you explain it?" he asked quietly.

"No. However, as time went by, I realized that I did not need to. It was good enough for me to love Jim without having a logical reason, whether my feelings were requited or not."

Abruptly, Sarek stood, scraping his chair against the floor. He raised his hand into the Vulcan salute, merely as a courtesy, then fled.

xx

(A/N: I'm in fluff mode, can you tell? And drama mode. lol.

About the Vulcan death grip; it's fictitious. Spock made it up and "used" it on Kirk to fool the Romulans in TOS. My explanation for Kirk knowing about it: Spock Prime recalled the memory to him.

And Zachary Quinto's eyes really _are_ indescribable, has anyone ever noticed that? What an honest-to-God perfect creation they are.)


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: A quote to share with you: "Yes, there's certainly some of that -- certainly with love overtones. Deep love." ---Gene Roddenberry on the Kirk/Spock theory

**lovefan81: **thank you! They deserve no less than beautiful :)

**IWantAnAlien: **aww thank you! Yeah, I am totally in love with him too. lol

**takai-megami-chan: **Hehe! I'm glad you like them!

**Bloody's soul: **lol :D fluff is needed every once in a while… :D

**rry: **I know he didn't marry T'Pring, but I just thought it made things nice and neat for his backstory in this one. haha… I need to watch the old movies. lmao

**tilly-tally-tease: **I'm still not sure about what I'm going to do with Sarek. I've got an idea though. :D

**Mars-Eclipse: **hehe thanks! I hope everyone likes what I've got in store for Synok.

**Celestia: **Yes… K/S is such a great part of Star Trek, whether it's written in or not. We can all read between the lines. lol

**sesshomaru's fluff is mine: **OMG, I know. They make me melt. I wonder that too… I'd like the chance to find out :D haha… don your cape and save them! I'm sure Kirk and Spock would appreciate not having to fight them! Yes, I always find myself writing Spock on top for some reason, though it's not really a submissive/dominating kind of thing, it just kind of seems like his natural place. And it's hot. lol I'm glad you're enjoying the plot… and I love your reviews! ;)

**Mezzer 5.2: **of course!

**hpets: **School IS annoying. lol

**Dream's Abyss: **I've just got into Heroes and I have trouble separating the two sometimes. So if Spock gets any Sylar-like characteristics, you know why. lol

**sexy-jess: **Oh me too. Especially since they're so… couple-y in real life. What a tease. lol Yes, Synok is conflicted… I think of Snape from Harry Potter when I'm writing him. Yeah, I wonder about the cube too… it's a weird concept. I LOVE how long your reviews are, babble away!!

**MeEksiNs: **Weird thing for Sarek to deal with, no? This is even more illogical than Amanda.

**underneath-the-sheets: **lol! I laugh everytime I read your reviews… you rock

**Hikaru: **I know… open your eyes, Sarek!!

**my renji-kun: **Me too!

**yumi2482: **thanks :D

**Andrina Sparda: **thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it!

**xx**

Spock awakened to the sound of alien birdsong. He'd missed this about the colony: the choir and orchestra of the exotic birds in the forest. Tiny jeweled hummingbirds darted around the curtain of ivy and fuchsia, whose flames had diminished in deference to morning. Thin, bright rays of sunlight filtered through the miniscule gaps in the canopy of leaves.

He shook Kirk. "We spent the night in the forest."

Kirk snaked an arm around him. "That's my science officer. Always one hundred percent observant."

Spock's lips twitched. "We should return to the colony."

"Technically, this is part of the colony. Besides, I'm comfortable."

"Yes. Well, _you_ did not use the root of a tree for a pillow."

Kirk nestled into his shoulder. "Of course not. Using you seemed like a much more… _logical_ idea."

"Though I strangely appreciate your human sarcasm," Spock said with a half-smile, "we do need to return as quickly as—"

A menacing voice cut through the peace of the forest, cutting off Spock's sentence. "We are the Borg. Existence, as you know it, is over. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Resistance is futile."

Kirk turned to his first officer, who was twice as pale as normal, his eyes round as the two moons which hung in the Pomonian sky.

"Oh, no." Spock took off in the direction of the colony.

Kirk raced after him. "Wait! Spock! What's going on?" Instinctively, he chased him out of the forest, toward the colony, and straight into Tynak's dwelling.

"Spock?" The tilt of his Vulcan eyebrows suggested agitation. "What are you—"

"I apologize. But we must evacuate. Now."

"What is the meaning of this?"

It was a strange scene, Kirk thought, a young Starfleet officer giving orders to a Vulcan council member—in pajamas.

"The Borg, Councillor."

"Yes. The message." He regarded Spock with curiosity. "Are you— familiar with their race?"

Spock closed his eyes for a fleeting moment, remembering all that Uhura had told him. "They are like a virus," he said. "That is the best metaphor I am able to offer. Every Borg," he explained further, "was once a member of another race."

"How is this possible?"

"Their technology enables them to combine cybernetics and genetics in order to create one species, devoid of any trace of individuality. They implant nanotechnology into the body; moments later, the individual will not remember his or her original identity. They are—" he turned to Kirk—"half-man, half-machine, to put it in simplistic terms."

"They've come to turn us into them?" Kirk's sky-blue eyes grew wide.

"And, as they warned, resistance _is_ futile. It would be in the best interest of every Vulcan to run and hide." Spock's logic switch had been flipped to the "on" position; Kirk trusted his judgment without a second thought. Evidently, so did Tynak.

"We must reach the hall," Tynak said, sprinting out the door in his pajamas.

A small spacecraft, dull and gray, descended from the large cube hovering outside the Pomonian atmosphere. Immediately upon entering, it fired upon Kirk and Spock's shuttle.

"Hurry up!" Kirk yelled, shoving them inside the hall.

As Spock and Tynak went to make the announcement to the community, Kirk went to send a transmission to Earth.

Admiral Pike appeared on the screen. "Kirk! How's it—"

"We need help," Kirk interrupted. "We've got an invasion on our hands. It's the Borg. Spock says that they're able to assimilate other races, and—"

His face became grave at once. "Yes. I am aware of what they are. I will send the _Enterprise-A."_

"Tell Sulu he's the acting Captain. McCoy will be his acting first officer."

"I will inform them."

"Thank you, Admiral."

As the warning echoed out through the Vulcan settlement, Kirk stood on the doorstep of the meeting hall. A sea of Vulcans, an exodus of stoic faces and sharp ears, fled in every direction; some escaped into the forest, others ran in the direction of the river. Did they think they could cross and hide with the Chenari?

The Borg craft touched down where Kirk and Spock's shuttle had stood just moments ago. A metal ramp extended out, and Kirk set eyes on his first Borg.

He could not tell if it was a man or a woman. Its skin was the palest, sickest shade of gray, and its eyes were utterly empty. Cybernetics and strange black armor clothed the body. A sickening fear rose in his stomach.

A warm hand seized his arm, and he turned to see Spock at his side. "Follow me."

He found himself chasing after Spock again, back into the forest. They tore through brush and flora, their steps slowed by the soft sand.

"Where are we going?" Kirk demanded.

"Trust me," Spock urged, never breaking pace. Soon enough, they reached the river, slowed to a stream by the thick forest. Spock waded in, stepping easily through the rocky, jagged bottom with his effortless grace. He couldn't help but smile at hearing Jim mutter about "perfect Vulcans" as he picked his way through the maze of rocks. Before the sun reached its apex, Spock was ushering Kirk into a cave, hidden from view by a column of tall, wild shrubs.

"I don't like hiding," Kirk declared, as soon as they'd pushed their way inside. "We ought to go back out there and kill these guys. We've got a job. We need to protect these people."  
"We can not save anyone without the aid of the _Enterprise-A,_" Spock told him. "You and I are both equipped with only phaser pistols. The Borg possess weapons that we can not fight."

"Spock, there is no armor that these phasers can not handle."

"Jim—"

"This is ridiculous. I don't want to sit around here while innocent Vulcans—and Chenari—get killed or _assimilated, _however the hell that works. I am going back."

"Jim, I can not allow you to leave."

He fixed him with a glare. "We might be sleeping together but, of the two of us, I _am_ the commanding officer."

Spock grabbed his arm. "Do you want to know what they are capable of?"

Kirk stared back.

"Lieutenant Uhura recounted this narrative to me in confidence," Spock said sternly, "and I only recall it to you now in order to save your life." He sighed. "When Lieutenant Uhura was thirteen, she and her family took a trip to a planet in the Delta Quadrant. Her mother, Safiya, who also studied as a xenolinguist, intended to assist an alien species achieve their goal of establishing a written version of their native oral language. Due to the act which made the language of the neighboring species the official language of the planet, their native language had begun to die out.

Two weeks after the Uhuras' arrival, the Borg landed on the planet. Safiya was the first of Lieutenant Uhura's family to be assimilated. Nyota and her father watched as Safiya transformed into a drone in front of their eyes. Then, before either of them could stop it, Nyota's little sister Anisa was assimilated. Their father committed suicide with a phaser pistol at seeing his daughter's transformation. Lieutenant Uhura ran. She was the only member of her family to survive."

"How did she get back?"

Spock's lips twitched. "She boarded a Niobian shuttle and hid. Once the ship hit warp, she revealed herself. She was armed with a phaser and demanded that the captain bring her to Earth."

Kirk allowed himself a small smile. "Sounds like something she'd do."

"Indeed."

"So—we wait for our ship_._"

"It is all we can do. It should take approximately eight hours for the _Enterprise-A_ to arrive at Pomonus."

xx

Time passed by at an achingly slow rate. Kirk had spent the first hour pumping his first officer for more information about the Borg. If these creatures were really as daunting as Spock made them sound, he wanted to know everything he could. Did they have a weakness? How could they be stopped?

When Spock said that they _couldn't_ be stopped, and that they would simply need to concentrate on beaming all humanoid life forms off of the planet, Kirk felt a rising unease within his mind. If _Spock_ couldn't figure out a way to defeat them—this was not good.

To take his mind off of it, he spent the next hour practicing his Vulcan kissing technique. Then his human kissing technique. Then the technique that caused Spock to lose power of speech.

For the third hour, he and Spock both kept busy attempting to get sand out of places they didn't even know could be invaded by sand.

When their visitor came, luckily, they both had their clothes back on and Kirk was teaching Spock how to play tic-tac-toe.

"What is the goal of this game?" Spock demanded.

"Well… just to get three of your letters in a row."

Spock raised an eyebrow. "This is exceedingly simple, Jim. It provides no challenge for the mind."

"It's not supposed to. It's supposed to be a time-waster."

The bushes rustled, and the two men instinctively drew their phasers.

"Don't shoot," came a familiar voice, and Spock Prime edged through the brush.

Spock raised an eyebrow at his alternate self. "How were you able to find us?"

"I enjoy exploring the forest. It should come as no surprise to you that we enjoy many of the same pastimes and, as a result, share many of the same favorite places."

Spock stared at him. "Do you enjoy _Kal-toh?"_

"I do."

"Then you understand my current quandary. Please explain to Jim that this "_tic-tac-toe"_ is dull."

Spock Prime let out an abbreviated laugh. "My Jim taught me how to play on the way to Romulus."

Kirk raised an eyebrow. "Your Jim?"

Again, a bittersweet expression. "Your implication is wrong. He was not to me what you are to your Spock."

"But you wished he would have been," Kirk said boldly, searching the old man's eyes. "You might not be my Spock, but your eyes are just as telling."

He sat down in the sand and looked over at his younger counterpart. "You are much braver than I was."

"So it's not just our timeline?" Kirk said.

"A James T. Kirk and a Spock in any timeline or reality belong together," said the old man. "The universe cannot change that."

"I wish my father believed that," Spock mused.

"He visited me last night after you departed."

Spock looked up in surprise.

"He divulged his opinion on the matter. I attempted to explain to him that, in this case, love must come before logic. Or, perhaps more fitting, that love _is _logic. He left abruptly before I could pursue different strategies to illustrate my point."

Kirk sat, stunned into silence. Cybernetic drones connected to a hive mind had invaded the planet. Two versions of the same Vulcan sat in front of him, talking openly about feelings—about _love_, for that matter, and _he _was a central character in their discourse. He felt like he was suffering from delusions.

"My emotions continue to surface," Spock explained to his older self. "I would appreciate it if you would once again attempt to reason with my father after this conflict is over, as I fear I would succumb to anger during another conversation with him."

Spock Prime nodded. "Of course."

They spent the final two hours devising escape and battle plans. Kirk wished to fight; Spock's logic dictated that they concentrate their efforts on getting the people off the planet. Acting as a mediator, Spock Prime helped coordinate a hybrid of the two plans.

As the sun slipped below the horizon and space clothed the world in black, Kirk watched the sky. He could see the Borg cube. Then—

"They're here," Kirk said. "The _Enterprise-A._"


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Those of you who keep writing reviews, thank you so much! It keeps me churning these chapters out! Again, I know I've been slower on this story than the previous two… I've got a summer class that's eating up some of my writing time. :( I really hope you're enjoying this… I'm hoping to be able to put out chapter 5 tomorrow. Crossing my fingers!!

**Mars-Eclipse: **The idea randomly came to me and I was like… this would _kill_ Spock. Sooo mindless. lol

**Mark: **No. Sarek is much nicer than your mother. :D

**theblackmasquerade-NARUfreak-: **haha yeah. I meant Pike. I fixed it :)

**lovefan81: **Easy? Never.

**Bloody's soul: **aww, well thanks! That's an awesome compliment.

**sexy-jess: **Absolutely, possessive!Kirk is just a dream. I'm glad the Borg arrival was realistic. I hope I can make them as scary as I want to. And yeah, I know… "Hi, we're the Borg, we're going to take you over now. K, bye!" There is definitely more destruction coming from the Borg… poor Vulcan colony *sigh* I fixed the Kirk/Pike thing. Brain fart. Yeah, I keep writing about Uhura and I keep feeling _really_ bad for her. :( I heart Spock Prime and I feel bad for him too, especially since, like you said, he never got to be with "his" Jim and now he has to watch his younger self and this timeline's Jim and how they are together. Bittersweet. Like I said before, I love your reviews, I always look forward to them!

**Amadrei: **Thank you! What a compliment. I hope you enjoy the rest of the story!

**hpets: **Thanks!

**Dream's Abyss: **Nearly impossible. Which is what makes for some good adventure and drama.

**Andrina Sparda: **thanks! I'm glad I do Spock Prime justice. :D

**WhispersofNature: **Thank you!

**Aisling-Siobhan: **I know, right? High five to Gene Roddenberry.

**Hikaru: **I think everyone loves Spock Prime. How can you not? :)

**tilly-tally-tease: **hehe! Well, I guess every action has its consequences… I'm sure the fun was well worth the awkwardness after though… lol…

**underneaththesheets: **I've always wondered that too. I know that in _First Contact _(the movie) the Queen was killed by some sort of plasma that melted her skin off, if I remember correctly. The Chenari are going to prove formidable enemies to the Borg, however.

**sesshomaru's fluff is mine: **ahahahahaha!!! That was _hilarious!_ I accept the 10 points with humble gratitude. lol I wish _I_ could use Spock as a pillow. Hmph.

xxxxx

"We are overrun." Tynak spoke gravely.

Acting Captain Hikaru Sulu, high overhead on the _Enterprise-A, _furrowed his brow. "We didn't receive much information from Starfleet. You say these life forms can replicate themselves into other beings?"

Uhura sighed. "They inject you," she said quietly. "Like a virus. It only takes a few minutes before you're not yourself anymore."

Sulu turned to her in surprise. "How do you know?"

McCoy watched her intently. He knew she didn't want the whole ship to know her secrets— so, when she hesitated, he spoke up. "When the Borg began attacking civilizations in the Delta Quadrant, a professor of mine became interested," he lied. "He used to jabber on about how they assimilated other beings into their race. He wanted to find a cure."

Uhura gave him a look that plainly said "thank you" as Chekov voiced the question on everyone's minds.

"Is there a cure?"

McCoy shrugged. "Theoretically."

Tynak's voice shocked everyone back to the present. "If you intend to beam to the planet's surface, I suggest you aim for the Council Hall."

"Thank you," Sulu said. "Where are Captain Kirk and Commander Spock?"

"I do not know," Tynak responded. "Spock suggested we should evacuate and hide; those are the orders I gave to the colony. I presume that your captain and commander are seeking refuge along with the rest of the Vulcans."

"Thank you," repeated Sulu, and the transmission ended. He turned to his first officer. "Bones?"

Uhura nodded slightly.

"I think we ought to go down there," he said at length. "It's dangerous, but our friends are down there."

As Bones and Sulu discussed possibilities, Uhura retreated to her thoughts. _This is what you wanted, Nyota, _she told herself. _You wanted your chance at revenge._ No matter how hard she tried to convince herself, however, she couldn't ignore the surge of fear in her heart. She kept visualizing that day back on Niobe, how quickly she'd lost her family…

-

_"Mother!"_

_Safiya stared back at her daughter, eyes wide in horror. "Nyota…"_

_A spiderlike piece of machinery burst out of Safiya's eye socket; Nyota clutched her little sister to her chest, covering her eyes. Anisa wrenched out of her sister's grip and turned, watching her mother's chocolate skin fade into a muted gray. _

_"Mama!" Anisa's tears soaked into Nyota's shirt. "Mama!"_

_Erevu raced up. "Girls, come on, we've—" He broke off at seeing the pale form of his wife, cybernetics emerging from her skin. "Safiya."_

_Anisa broke free and ran to her mother, crying._

_"Anisa, no," Nyota yelled, "she's dangerous—"_

_Sure enough, Safiya stared at her daughter with a vacant stare, and pierced her skin. Anisa cried out and turned to her sister and father with frightened eyes. "Papa, what's happening to me?"_

_And then, just as suddenly, she had grown an eyepiece._

_Erevu pulled a phaser from a dead Niobian and shot at the oncoming Borg drone. Its armor shrugged off the blast. _

_He gazed down at his daughter. "Run, Nyota," he whispered._

_She stared up at him. "Father—"_

_"Trust me. I love you. Go."_

_Tears welling in her eyes, she sprinted off in the direction of the shipyards. She heard the phaser fire, and turned to see her father fall to the ground. She only had one goal now—survival. Always, she'd been fast; back on Earth, she'd set world speed records as a twelve-year-old. Running had been exhilarating, a hobby, fun. Now she needed her speed to live._

_Expertly, she dodged the forboding needlelike tubes extending from Borg fingers. Her feet took her swiftly across the planet's surface. Once she reached the shipyards, she chose a ship, snuck on board, and laid low. She wouldn't reveal herself, she decided, until they hit warp. And then, she thought, a phaser clutched in her hands, she would make them take her home._

-

"Scotty, Bones, you stay here." Sulu strapped a utility belt around his waist. "Bones, you've got the bridge. Scotty, you're going to be ready at the transporter. Uhura, Chekov, go with him. We'll transport down."

"Aye, Cap'n." Scotty headed to the transporter room, with the other two in tow.

Sulu's voice echoed down the corridors of the _Enterprise-A. _"Attention, crew: this is Acting Captain Hikaru Sulu. We are preparing to transport to the surface of Pomonus. All medical personnel report to the medical bay. You will be staying aboard. All other personnel: board shuttles. Your orders are to rescue the Vulcans and the Chenari and bring them safely back to the Enterprise. If you see a crew member who has been assimilated, do not attempt to rescue them. Sulu out."

Uhura stood on the transporter pad, staring back at McCoy. Her hands shook. He took them in his, trying his best to calm her.

"I don't know whether I'm scared or excited," she admitted.

"Be vigilant," he advised, and let her hands go.

She nodded as Sulu stepped up. "Scotty, monitor for Kirk and Spock. When you find them, beam them up and back down into the Council Hall with us."

Scotty nodded.

"Energize," said Sulu, and they disappeared.

xx

Spock and Kirk sat inside the hollow of a large tree near the edge of the forest. Spock Prime had crossed into the Chenari settlement, hoping to explain the situation and convince them to fight. Now, they waited.

"So," Kirk said, "if the Chenari are twice as strong as you, that makes them six times stronger than humans."

"Yes."

"But you fought one on Chenar."

Spock tilted his head. "Yes. And I lost, Jim."

"How does the other you know about their weapons technology?"

"From what I have discerned," Spock replied, "the alternate version of myself was quite the diplomat. I am sure that he has made contact with the Chenari on several occasions. We share a planet; it is crucial that we know about each other."

"Do you think it's hard for him to see us together?" Kirk asked, after a pause.

Spock knew at once what he was referring to. "I think that he is conflicted," he said slowly. "He told me that I was braver than he was. I sense a deep regret."

"You think he wishes he would have admitted his feelings to his timeline's Jim."

Spock nodded. "He is pleased, however, that we have made the choice to embrace our emotions. Of that, I am quite certain."

"I'm glad too," Kirk whispered, reaching out for Spock's fingertips. He felt the now-familiar tingle float through his veins.

Spock's face relaxed into a smile.

"Should we wait for the Chenari," Kirk asked, "or go now?"

His first officer gave him an amused look. "You are the Captain."

"Let's go."

They edged slowly out of the forest. Few things rattled James Kirk, but the sight of hundreds of Vulcans wearing metal armor, embedded in their skin like a parasite, horrified him. "Can't they be saved?"

Spock took a step forward. "It is terrible," he whispered, "yet fascinating. I cannot help but wonder how the cybernetics are able to grow so quickly."

Kirk stared at him. "I don't believe you."

"I was merely expressing my curiosity about the technical aspect of assimilation," Spock replied. "I never expressed acceptance of what has happened to these Vulcans. Conversely, I would like to kill every Borg drone responsible."

This earned a smile. "I thought Vulcans were supposed to be peaceful people."

"Sometimes," Spock said, "war is the only logical answer."

The hall, softly lit against the forboding night, stood about a hundred yards from where Kirk and Spock crouched in the feathery grass.

"Tynak has barricaded himself in," Spock observed. "We will not be able to enter."

"Spock," Kirk hissed, "we're being transported."

Immediately, Spock drew his phaser. When he aimed, he found himself staring Montgomery Scott in the face.

"Bugger," Scotty said, raising his hands in the air. "Don't shoot. I was just tryin' to help."

Kirk laughed. "Scotty. What are we doing up here?"

He grinned. "Makin' it easier on your arses." He handed them a pair of communicators. "I'm under direct orders from Sulu to beam you both back down into Council Hall."

"Carry them out, then."

"Aye, Cap'n."

xx

"Good, you're here." Sulu shook his Captain's hand. Spock stiffened, and Kirk pulled away almost immediately; as far as he was concerned, his own hands had become Vulcan. Making contact with another man's hand felt like cheating on Spock.

Slightly taken aback, Sulu proceeded to fill Kirk and Spock in on the orders he'd given. "As it stands, everyone is ready to execute a rescue mission," he told the Captain. "They await my orders. Now they await yours."

The sound of shuttles filled the air, and Tynak pressed a button. A large block of sandstone slid aside to reveal a large window.

"Are you crazy?" Uhura demanded, as the Borg standing outside the hall began to march toward the window. She drew her phaser.

"Relax, Lieutenant," Tynak said. "It is a forcefield. They will not be able to penetrate it."

As the shuttles landed, some of the drones began to march in their direction, away from the hall. In the distance, under the light of the two moons, Kirk could see the outline of Spock Prime and a host of Chenari coming across the river. Vulcans began to pop their heads out of their hiding places.

Kirk looked at Spock. "War."

Spock nodded, resting a hand on his shoulder. "The only logical answer."

He picked up his communicator. "Captain Kirk to shuttles," he said. "Fire at will."


	5. Chapter 5

**Naunet Elvina Amunet: **Thanks! Yeah, I feel terrible. Poor Spock Prime. I wish I could find him a black hole that would take him to a reality where he had another chance.

**my renji-kun: **hehe :) I love jealous Spock.

**sexy-jess: **McCoy's a sharp cookie—I think he's got some tricks up his sleeve. As for Uhura, yeah—she's in a tough place. Uhura's family names: I am a HUGE name geek (I am actually in the process of writing a baby name book.) Safiya is a name I've loved for a long, long time, and the rest of her family's names I simply took from the region where Uhura is supposed to come from. :) Yeah, I do the research. For this chapter, I watched an episode of TOS. I'm learning so much! And yes, Bones and Uhura are definitely together—I tried to mention that in Under Wraps. I love Spock and Kirk (obviously) and I think that they're really each other's rocks in tough situations. It's only natural for them to provide some comfort and reassurance. And yeah, the Vulcans don't get it easy! I didn't even plan the Sulu/Kirk handshake… it just kind of spilled out. I like it though. I absolutely LOVED your little vignette… you should turn that into a story of its own!!

**Bloody's soul: **I know, I'm a terrible cliffhanger-writer. lol.

**Mark: **thanks! Here's your battle.

**lovefan81: **aww thank you!

**OritPetra: **Yeah, I'm with you and Spock. I'm a pacifist, but sometimes, unfortunately, we do have to go to war. I'm flattered that Uhura's story had such an impact. Good luck with your finals!

**MirrorFlower and DarkWind: **thank you! :)

**hikaru: **Yes… Uhura's strong, but having Bones there for her, I think, makes her even stronger. Spock Prime even makes me want to cry, and I'm writing him… lol. And yes! Spock DOES own Jim's hands!! haha :D

**Catri Howlman-Carthaki spy: **Thank you so much for your kind comments! I read your reviews for my other stories and I promise I will reply to them as soon as I come back from looking at apartments. I'm glad you've enjoyed my writing so far!

**sesshomaru's fluff is mine: **Ohh, I giggled at your little exchange. I love it. :D You seem to be oddly telepathic when it comes to what's coming up in my story! Mmm Spock pillow… if I had a sandwich pillow it would be Quinto/Spock and Pine/Kirk. Mmmm. lol

**underneaththesheets: **We love the Chenari. :D Hehe… we'll see about short-circuiting their cybernetics… I've got a plan *rubs hands together* :D

**Mars-Eclipse: **Good! I'm glad they're scary. We're all going to hate them even more pretty soon…

**tilly-tally-tease: **Yeah, Vulcans aren't very open about the details of intimacy—no one knows about _pon farr, _they don't discuss how they kiss. Sulu's probably not going to shake hands with Kirk again anytime soon, though. lol

**Andrina Sparda: **Thanks! Yeah, Uhura's got some issues to face!

xx

"There is no way to save an individual once he or she has been assimilated?" asked Tynak.

"It is possible," Spock replied, "but highly unlikely."

"Then shoot anyone who becomes compromised," said Tynak coldly, as Sulu handed him a phaser. "It is the most painless and efficient way."

As soon as the Chenari set foot on the Vulcan side of the river, Kirk knew why Spock Prime had gone to enlist their help. One tall, thick-necked Chenari mowed through the crush of Borg, snapping their necks like twigs. An equally large Borg met him with a tubule already extended, ready to assimilate him into the Collective; with two fingers, he snapped the tubule in half.

"Jesus," Kirk said out loud to no one in particular, "what an army." He fired his phaser at an oncoming Borg, hit its armor, then fired again, landing a shot in his neck. He fell to the ground.

He turned, but his first officer had been shoved aside by a rush of hollering Chenari, wielding pulsar pistols and brute strength.

"Spock!" he called, but his first officer seemed to be handling himself just fine. He'd grabbed a pulsar from a dead Chenari, and was locked in battle with a Borg. With a loud roar, Spock wrenched free of the Borg's grip, slipped away from the tubule, stuck the pistol to its head, and fired.

_I am _so_ outmatched out here,_ thought Kirk.

Uhura had transformed from a mildly sarcastic communications officer to a reckless warrior. Phaser in one hand, pulsar in the other, she ran at a pasty gray Borg, firing at will. As he fell to the ground, she kicked him hard in the gut and spit in his face. Then she turned to face another. Bloodlust burned in her eyes, a hunger to bring about the extinction of the Borg with her own two hands.

Kirk narrowly avoided assimilation and mimicked his first officer's move, firing a phaser into the Borg's neck. He saw Spock fire off another pulsar round; not only did the Borg he was fighting with drop to the ground, two neighboring drones followed suit.

Spock noticed this at the same time. "Pulsars!" he shouted, realizing. "These weapons emit a small electromagnetic pulse; it disrupts their cybernetics!"

"Spock!" Kirk shouted.

He turned just in time to see a drone inject Sarek in the throat. His face froze; his body went rigid, and his eyes found his son.

"Father!" cried Spock.

And then it seemed to happen in slow motion. Kirk, acting on instinct, let out a primal roar and cut down the drone who'd killed his first officer's father. Spock was, as he would say, emotionally compromised—it fell to Kirk, then, to avenge Sarek's death. He fired the phaser into the drone's temple; then, just for the raw satisfaction of it, he snapped his neck.

Tynak, who had just ducked behind a Chenari for cover, saw Sarek clutch at his throat. Knowing he had been compromised, he coldly raised his phaser and shot Sarek square in the stomach.

Spock cried out and dropped to his knees beside his father. Helplessly, he stared up at Tynak.

"Get up, Spock. Carry on."

He felt tears come to his eyes. "You just shot my father."

"Your human side," Tynak said silkily, "makes you weak. Leave him. He has been compromised."

For a split second, Spock remembered the veil of ice in Tynak's eyes when he turned down the Vulcan Science Academy for Starfleet; his patronizing remarks about Spock's "disadvantage." Anger flooded his veins, deeper and stronger than any human emotion. This was a Vulcan anger. This was at the very core of him. He _hated_ this man.

Sarek drew in a sharp breath, and Spock came back to the present. He gripped his phaser. "Since my customary farewell would betray my true feelings toward you," he said through gritted teeth, looking up at Tynak, "I shall simply say, as they do on Earth, _fuck off and die." _And with a jolt of rage, he fired the phaser.

Tynak, his last breath upon his lips, fell to the ground.

Sarek, hand shaking, reached for his son. "Spock," he whispered.

"I will call for help," he said.

"Wait. Spock—I want to tell you that I understand your choice."

"You do?"

"Yes, of course. You must remember, Spock—you are half human. It is much easier for you to integrate your emotions into your life. But I have followed Surakian philosophy for so long that it is difficult for me to put pure logic aside." He paused. "I am also not accustomed to intimate relationships between two members of the same gender. However, I am aware that it is a normal and acceptable part of human interaction." A bittersweet smile crept onto his lips. "It seems you have inherited more human traits than I originally hypothesized."

Spock pulled out his communicator. "Spock to _Enterprise. _Beam us up."

xx

"What are you doing, bringing him aboard?" McCoy snapped, staring at the cybernetics grafting their way onto Sarek's body. "You could have compromised the entire ship! This still might compromise the entire ship!" Violently, he tapped his temple. "Logic, Spock! Goddamnit, I'd have thought _you _would have the good sense to leave him—"

Spock pushed the doctor against a wall. "He is my _father, _Bones. Vulcans may be good at suppressing our feelings and choosing the most logical course of action, but sometimes we just don't want _both of our parents to die within the course of a year."_

McCoy stared back at him as if a monster had taken his place. Spock released him and sped off down the corridor.

"What am I supposed to do with him?" McCoy demanded, following him to the transporter room.

"Restrain him. Tie him to the bed. Put a forcefield around him. I know that the theory for a cure exists. If you will not attempt to help him, I will do it myself when I return."

"Well, why not now? Why the hell are you going back?"

"Jim is still on the planet's surface," Spock said simply, "and where he goes, I go." He knelt. "Energize."

McCoy looked helplessly at Scotty, who just shrugged and took another bite of sandwich. "I don't understand Vulcans, and I especially don't understand _that_ Vulcan. Don't ask me." He took a swig of milk. "Kinda sweet though, innit?"

Shaking his head, McCoy headed back down to sickbay.

xx

"How is he?"

"I took him to Doctor McCoy," Spock replied. "I do not know what will happen to him."

"Why didn't you stay with him?"

Spock turned and, as usual, his eyes did all the speaking for him. "My responsibility is here."

Kirk quickly brushed his fingers against Spock's, and the corner of his mouth lifted.

"C'mon," Kirk said. "Let's start moving the women and children onto shuttles."

Uhura shot two drones in succession. "I can cover you," she said.

Kirk nodded.

xx

Synok, standing in a formation of drones, grew impatient. He knew that far beneath him, far beneath the Borg cube, a war raged on Pomonus. He knew that his fellow Vulcans were turning into mindless drones, one by one.

The voices of the Collective buzzed in his head.

_We will go next._

_The Vulcans are our priority._

_Assimilate beings, then technology._

_Kill none. We take all._

It felt like an electrical storm in his brain, a surge of information he was not ready for. He knew, though, if he hoped to help, he must isolate one mind.

The Queen.

Synok wondered what his mind could do within the confines of the Collective.

_Be quiet,_ he commanded.

He felt a response. Confusion? Anxiety? He was not accustomed to emotion. He tried again. _Stop thinking._

Some of the voices vanished. Others became louder. _There is still individuality,_ he surmised. _They still exist behind their eyepieces._

…_We still exist?_

_…Who are you?_

_…You are not the Queen._

Synok started. _You can hear me._

_…Of course we can hear you._

_…We can all hear you._

_…Who are you?_

_…You are not the Queen._

If he could take control, maybe he could find her. _No. I am not the Queen. My name is Synok._

_…Name?_

_…What is your designation?_

_…Who are you?_

_…You are not the Queen._

Synok tried again. _I am not the Queen. My name is Synok. I came from the planet Vulcan. The Queen attempted to have me assimilated. I prevented it. I need to find her mind. We are connected to her mind, are we not?_

_…You are not the Queen._

_…Quiet! He is looking for the Queen._

_…You are not—_

_…She is—_

Synok clenched his fists. _She is where?_

_…Everywhere._

He exhaled.

xx

"Ensign Friedman," Uhura said, grabbing the sleeve of a brunette woman. "This shuttle is full. Take it to the _Enterprise._"

She bobbed her head. "Yes, Lieutenant."

"Another wave," Kirk said, stopping to catch his breath.

Uhura checked her weapons for a charge. "What I wouldn't give for a rifle," she said, raising both pistols to fire into the horde of drones.

Kirk, engaged in battle with a former Klingon, didn't notice Spock get knocked to the ground. Above him, a gray-skinned woman brought her hand back to pierce his skin.

"Leave him alone," snarled Uhura, nearly pulling the drone's arm out of her socket. She wrenched her around, putting the phaser to her skull—then she saw the woman's face. Her pistol dropped to the ground; she felt as though all the wind had been knocked out of her lungs.

"Mom?" she whispered.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: It's my 23rd birthday today! Yay! I feel kinda old. lol. My dad, however, is awesome and bought me a replica of Spock's blue Starfleet shirt. He knows me _so_ well. If you want to brighten my birthday, leave a review ;) Otherwise, enjoy! This is one of my favorite chapters so far. :)

**sexy-jess: **No problem! Yay for driving :D Yeah, Spock Prime being assimilated would be all kinds of terrible. Yeah, I will forever be in love with Vulcans too. lol And I always thought it was odd about the multiple humanoid species. You'd think there would be major differences. Good thing Vulcans and humans are so alike though ;) I definitely wanted Uhura to be all Lara Croft-like here, lol… Uhura can be such a bad ass, I think. hehe… it would be so OOC to have Spock swearing during sex… but also _so_ fun. It makes me want to write a oneshot where his human side takes over. I love utilizing those finger kisses because they're so subtle and quick. There will definitely be a return to romance and comedy, don't you worry :) Again, awesome vignette! I love reading them! Thanks for your awesome review :D

**Yana5: **hmm… perhaps. :)

**Mars-Eclipse: **I think once Synok realized what he did, he's after a way to redeem himself. I'm glad you like him here!

**hpets: **Thank you!

**sesshomaru's fluff is mine: **10 points to you for the fangirl vignette ;) especially Spock, ahaha… "Fascinating." :D …and if you've got an HD camera, you'd better give me a copy! haha Yes—I'm glad that both Uhura and Spock have their respective significant others to support them; they'll need it. I approve of your sandwich suggestion! Sounds delicious ;) And don't worry, you weren't being an ass—I appreciate your compliment. :D "he seems like a nice old man, except for the crazy planet killing thing." –hahaha! Mmhmm, Zach Quinto's eyes… how can you ever get enough? I could stare for hours. And that is quite bad ass about your grandpa's Father's Day card. lol.

**Naunet Elvina Amunet: **I LOVE using them. haha I know I'm evil. Sorry.

**tilly-tally-tease: **hehe… I'm hoping Synok's growing on people… he's a complicated Vulcan.

**OritPetra: **Indeed. Thank you!

**MirrorFlower and DarkWind: **Thanks so much!

**Hikaru: **At least Scotty gets his sandwiches on the _Enterprise. _lol Yeah, I'd probably be hiding, or trying to get off-planet ASAP. Spock Prime is being an ass-kicking Vulcan, as you will soon see.

**Catri Howlman-Carthaki spy: **You brought up "Home," and I had just finished the chapter, and I was like "oh, man. I should finish and post 6 because if anyone is reading both stories, that's a really mean day of cliffhangers." lol.

**Andrina Sparda: **haha thanks! Yeah, I feel like I always put Spock through too much :(

**my renji-kun: **:D

xxxxx

Though there was no clock in the square green room, Synok could feel it ticking.

_The Queen's mind is everywhere, _Synok said. _Where is the Queen?_

_…The hive mind._

_…We are all connected to the Queen._

_…You are not the Queen._

He felt like beating his head off the wall. Screaming. _What is the Queen's designation?_

_…The Beginning. The End. The One who is Many._

_…The Beginning. The End. The One…_

_…You are not the Queen._

_WHERE IS THE QUEEN?_ He screamed the thought, screamed it so loudly his brain hurt.

…

…

…_The Queen is above the Unicomplex._

Synok let out the breath he'd been holding and used his meditative abilities to clear his mind of the voices of the Collective. There was one place to focus now.

xx

"Mom," Uhura repeated.

The voice was mechanical; toneless. "My designation is Three of Nine, Primary Adjunct of Unimatrix 01." Her solitary eye stared straight through her daughter, vacant and unfeeling.

"No. Safiya Uhura. Your name is Safiya Uhura."

"My designation is Three of Nine, Primary Adjunct of Unimatrix 01." She extended her tubules. "Your life as it has been is over. From this time forward, you will service us."

Spock got to his feet. "Nyota…"

She was near tears. "It's my mom, Spock."

Kirk acted quickly, stopping Safiya from piercing her own daughter. She struggled to get free of his grip. "If there's something you're planning on doing here, I'd hurry."

Uhura switched the setting on her phaser and stunned her mother. Kneeling at her side, she pulled out her communicator. "Uhura to _Enterprise,_" she said. "Two of us. Beam us up."

Spock and Kirk watched the two of them vanish before their eyes.

"Think Bones can really figure out a cure?" Kirk asked.

He stared up into the sky. "I certainly hope so."

As they fought, more and more drones continued to land on the planet. Sulu, sword in one hand and phaser in the other, cut a drone down at Kirk's feet and wiped his forehead. "I don't know how we're going to get out of this. They're endless."

"Maybe we ought to be up there," Kirk mused. "Attacking their ship. Firing every goddamn photon torpedo we've got. Then come down here and clean up."

Spock turned. "That," he said approvingly, "is quite the logical solution." Then, suddenly, he went rigid. His eyes went wide. Desperately, he stretched his hand out. "Jim—" He took a step forward, stumbled, and fell.

"Spock!" he screamed, rushing forward to break his fall. Behind him stood a short, stocky drone. He glared, his eyes like lasers. "You little fucking bastard," Kirk spat, and ran at him, tackling him to the ground. Before the drone knew what was happening, Kirk had landed a punch. "How does that feel?"

The drone raised his hand, only knowing his objective: assimilate. His objective, however, was no match for Kirk's rage. Armed with his phaser, he blasted the drone's hand right off his arm. "How's that feel? Try assimilating me now!"

"Captain!" Sulu yelled.

Kirk heard nothing but his own screams of fury as his fists turned the gray drone into a bloody red mess.

"Captain!"

His head snapped up and he turned to see Spock reaching out to him. At once, he went to his side. "Spock."

"Jim—save me." He brushed his fingers against Kirk's, then cried out in pain as an implant burst from his cheek.

He grabbed his communicator. "Kirk to _Enterprise._" His voice shook. "Beam us up."

xx

Spock Prime stared at the spot his younger self had vanished from.

"Spock!" shouted a gruff-voiced Chenari. "Keep your head up!"

Halfheartedly, he fired his pulsar and dropped three drones. _It's not right, _he thought. _It's not fair. I should have been the one to get assimilated. They need each other. _Memories invaded his mind; he remembered the horrid feeling in the pit of his stomach when he thought he'd killed his timeline's Kirk back on Vulcan—

-

_"He's finished." McCoy stared up at Spock. "He's dead."_

_T'Pau didn't blink an eye. "I grieve with thee," she said, her voice as cold as the icy caves of Delta Vega._

_Spock went into a trance as McCoy pulled out his communicator to contact the _Enterprise. Kirk is dead, _he thought. _By my hands. _It was the closest he'd felt to tears in his entire life._

_His thoughts were interrupted by an angry McCoy. "As strange as it may seem, Mr. Spock, you're in command now. Any orders?"_

Kill me, _he thought_. It's what I deserve. _"Yes. I will follow you up in a few minutes. You will instruct Mr. Chekov to plot a course for the nearest starbase, where I must surrender myself to the authorities." Then, he turned to the woman he'd just won. "T'Pring. Explain."_

_She faced him, calm, composed. "Specify."_

_"Why the challenge? Why did you choose my Captain as your champion?" Anger boiled in his veins. _

_"Stonn wanted me," she said simply. "I wanted him."_

_Spock stared back at her. "I see no logic in preferring Stonn over me."_

_"You have become much known among our people, Spock. Almost a legend. And as the years went by, I came to know that I didn't want to be the consort of a legend. But by the laws of our people, I could only divorce you by the _kal-if-fee. _There was also Stonn, who wanted very much to be my consort. And I wanted him. If your Captain were victor, he would not want me; and so I would have Stonn. If you were victor, you would free me because I had dared challenge, and again I would have Stonn. But if you did not free me, it would be the same. For you would be gone. And I would have your name and your property, and Stonn would still be there."_

I would have given you up so that Jim would survive, _he thought. _I would have given you up because I wished for him to be _my_ consort... _A heaviness weighed in his heart. "Logical," he managed. "Flawlessly logical."_

_"I am honored."_

_Spock turned to the other Vulcan male. "Stonn… she is yours. But after a time, you may find that having is not so pleasing a thing after all as wanting. It is not logical. But it is often true." _

_Taking his leave of both of them, he went to T'Pau. "Live long, T'Pau, and prosper."_

_In response, she raised her hand in the Vulcan salute. "Live long and prosper, Spock."_

_He regarded her with sad eyes. "I shall do neither. I've killed my Captain. And my friend." _And now he can never be more than those two things. _He walked slowly to the middle of the circle, feeling as though he was on a death march. "Energize."_

_As he marched off to find McCoy, he allowed it to sink in. _Jim is dead. _No longer would he find solace in his warm smile; no longer would they play chess together; no longer could he lie awake nights, yearning for a relationship that was not a logical possibility. Now, it was simpler than ever—he could not have Jim, because Jim was dead._

_"Doctor," Spock said, upon finding him with Nurse Chapel. "I shall be resigning my commission immediately, of course."_

_"Uh, Spock, I—"_

_"So, I would appreciate your making the final arrangements."_

_Bones held up a hand. "Spock, I—"_

_"Doctor, _please._ Let me finish." _This is difficult enough as it is. _"There can be no excuse for the crime of which I am guilty. I intend to offer no defense. Furthermore, I shall order Mr. Scott to take immediate command of this vessel."_

_A familiar voice sounded behind him. "Don't you think you ought to check with me first?"_

_Spock turned around to find a smiling Kirk, alive and well. "Captain!" A grin spread across his face. "Jim!" He took his arms in his hands, almost as if he needed tangible proof that Jim was, indeed, alive. A tingling warmth spread through his fingers—he knew he was kissing him, and he knew Jim had no idea what the touch of Vulcan fingers meant. But, for the moment, that was alright._

_Regaining composure, he let go. "I'm—pleased to see you, Captain." He straightened his uniform. "You seem… uninjured. I am at something of a loss to understand it, however."_

_Kirk launched into an explanation, but Spock couldn't be bothered with specifics. Jim was _alive, _and they'd be able to play chess together again, and maybe accidentally brush their fingers together over a rook or a pawn— and that was all that mattered. _

_Of course, Spock had returned to Vulcan after his prophetic words rang true; years later, Stonn found he no longer wanted T'Pring. Spock still pined for his Captain, but a match between them would be illogical; and so the intended mates were married on Vulcan at last._

_T'Pring, as she had predicted, got his name and his property. But never his love. That belonged, for his entire life, to James T. Kirk._

-

It still did.

And he knew that his alternate self loved just as strongly; and this timeline's Kirk seemed to feel the same way.

The assimilation had happened; he couldn't stop that now. Spock lay millions of miles away in the sickbay of the _Enterprise-A_ being treated by McCoy, no doubt. If behavioral patterns were any indication, he figured Jim would be right by his side.

_I can't stop it, _he thought, _but I can fight for them. In their stead. I can fight so Jim doesn't have to think about leaving him to come down here. I can _save _what I didn't have the courage to initiate in my life._

With new life in his bones and an animalistic roar in his throat, he flexed his fingers, delivered the Vulcan nerve pinch left and right, fired his pulsar pistol as many times in succession as he could.

He felt the blood of his ancient Vulcan ancestors boil within his veins, the surge of anger, the predilection for violence—the chemistry of a warrior.

Narrowing his eyes, he drank in the landscape of war.

He would end it.

xx

When they appeared in the transporter room, Scotty jumped up from his chair. "Cap'n—"

"Go get Bones," commanded Kirk.

"But—will you be alright? I mean, he's—"

Kirk glared at him. "I _said,_ go get Bones. That's a goddamn order."

Eyes wide, Scotty bobbed his head and ran from the room.

After he left, Kirk did something he hadn't done in a long time.

He started to cry.

Absentmindedly, he twisted Spock's thin, silky hair in his fingers. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know if Spock had already connected to the hive mind; he was unresponsive, still breathing, a vacant stare in his eye. So Kirk just held him and cried, letting the tears splash into the dark hair, as Spock's skin changed color from a healthy pale green to the sickly gray of the Borg.

Bones entered the room; his jaw dropped. "Good God."

Kirk felt like a helpless child as he looked up at his best friend. "Help him, Bones. Please."

Still in shock, Bones nodded.

xx

"Have some coffee, at least." Bones pressed a cup into his friend's hand. "If you're dead set on staying awake all night, you'll need a little caffeine."

Kirk stared at Spock, sedated and covered in Borg body armor. "You're going to be able to help him, aren't you?"

Bones regarded him with some interest. "You have never, in all the years I've known you, cared about someone this much. Not even me."

"Aw, c'mon, Bones—"

"Jesus, Jim, it's fine. I just—I didn't realize, you know? I thought this might just be another one of your flings. Even after that whole "relationship" bit after we got off Chenar. Not that I really understood why you'd pick _Spock_, but you'd never been one for an actual relationship, so I figured you were just having a little fun."

"He's different," Kirk said after a moment.

Bones smiled. "And to think you used to hate him."

Kirk managed a small smile. "It's hard to imagine." _And so is life without him, _he thought, forcing himself to realize the truth: he might not ever get Spock back. It took every ounce of self-control not to burst out in tears again at this revelation. He stood up and bent over his Vulcan, running a hand over his hair. He wished with every fiber of his being that this was a nightmare, that any moment now he'd wake up, shake Spock awake, and tell him how ridiculous the whole thing had been; and Spock would kiss him, first in the Vulcan way and then in the human way, and hold him; and his eyes would reassure him, in hundreds of different ways, that he'd never leave.

But Spock was asleep on a hospital bed, implants growing under his skin.

And Kirk was wide awake in a living nightmare.

xx

_Above the Unicomplex. So she has left the ship._

Synok had never seen the Unicomplex; but, of course, many of the drones in the Collective had, and he had access to all of their memories. He pulled threads from their minds, stitching together a mental tapestry of the Borg Queen's realm.

_Synok. You have found me._ The alto tones rang through his head like a carillon. _I am disappointed yet, at the same time, I am impressed._

_You underestimate the power of a Vulcan mind._

_Vulcan? Oh—yes—species 3259._

Synok felt himself bristle. _We have a name. As did all the drones standing beside me. You have stolen the identities of millions of beings._

_It is the only way. The only way to achieve perfection. It is all done for the good of the whole._

Synok closed his eyes in order to get a better image. He saw her, half of a torso and a head, existing without the shell. _And you? You are not an example of perfection._

"That depends on what your idea of perfection is," came a low, musical voice, and he opened his eyes to find the Queen staring him in the eye. "Congratulations, number two of species 3259, on your superior brain."

"You—you're not at the Unicomplex?"

_...She is everywhere._

_…The Queen._

"I am everywhere," she echoed. "I am curious, Five of Nine, how you managed to avoid complete assimilation."

"I am curious what your motive is for exterminating my people."

An amused expression crossed her face. "There is no extermination. We are welcoming them into the Collective. Equipping them with armor and cybernetics to achieve perfection. We have gone over this before."

"As soon as a being loses his or her identity," Synok spat, "he or she is as good as dead." His eye blazed as he stared her down.

"Do not think of it as _losing_ an identity. Think of it as gaining a new one."

"This is no identity."

…_My designation is Two of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix 08._

_…My designation is Six of Nine, Primary Adjunct of Unimatrix 21._

_…My designation is Eight of Nine, Secondary Adjunct of Unimatrix 14._

"You see? They believe in their identities."

Synok stared her down. "I believe in mine."

--

A/N: Spock Prime's flashback is indeed from "Amok Time." I kind of feel bad for not giving him Kirk in his own world. Poor Spock Prime… :(


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thank you for all the birthday wishes! This chapter is dedicated to Catri Howlman Carthaki-spy, in hopes that it will quell her rage and save my life—and her grandmother's life. ;) haha

**SnowKissYuki: **Yes to both… but the night is darkest just before the dawn. :)

**lovefan81: **Since there was no convenient plasma for Data to push her into, I had to figure out another way… lol. Who better than a Vulcan? You can actually watch TOS on YouTube, the CBS Classic TV channel has all the old ones.

**hikaru: **ohh, the end of that episode just makes me giggle. I love Spock. He's all thrilled that Jim's alive and then he's like wait—must be stoic Vulcan… lol. And yes… Bones… I love when he says "In a pig's eye!" at the end. haha

**Naunet Elvina Amunet: **Hopefully this will brighten your mood :)

**hpets: **I know, I just want to give Spock Prime a hug!  
**WhispersofNature: **It definitely could have worked either way. And then Spock would have had to logic-mode while simultaneously taking over the ship and dealing with all of this, and since his emotions are causing more and more inner turmoil… it would have been good. But I'd been envisioning the end scene in this chapter for a while, so I just had to assimilate Spock. :D

**Katy16: **Well thanks! I'm glad to hear you've liked them! :)

**Sparkylovesfire: **Thank you so much for the compliment! I'm updating as fast as I can. I'm having so much fun writing this.

**tilly-tally-tease: **Yeah… Spock gets messed with wayyy too much in this trilogy. I debated assimilating Kirk for the longest time but I couldn't give up the end of this chapter. ;)

**underneaththesheets: **ahaha, that's okay! I understand… school sucks. I'm going to school to become a teacher so I should be telling you how awesome school is, but no. I hate being there just as much as you do. lol I'm excited for my picture ;) haha!

**Yana5: **That would be the worst, wouldn't it?

**MirrorFlower and DarkWind: **He's my favorite too. :D Yup, Spock Prime is basically made of win, even though his life wasn't all he hoped for.

**sesshomaru's fluff is mine: **I like your Bones viewpoint :) …I am totally not cruel! Except for my cliffhanger love. haha. I really want to explore Uhura's backstory a little more, and what she's going to experience after this reunion with her mom—I might start a short little spin-off focusing on her. Perhaps. I still have many other projects to work on. lol. Yeah, I'm ridiculously emotional, so I'd probably make a better Kirk too… and what logical reasoning, if being Kirk got me Spock, I'd definitely don that ugly yellow uniform! ha Ooooh… now if I actually _could_ get my hands on that tape. LOL… levels for his eyes… "Set eyes to stun!" ohhh Zachary Quinto. If you can get your hands on Heroes, season 3, episode 9 ("It's Coming") I would highly suggest it. Amazing Sylar goodness. Mmm.

**Mars-Eclipse: **Of course I will! Thanks! :)

**Catri Howlman-Carthaki spy: **Ha! I apologize but, really, that makes me smile because I'm achieving what I wanted to. Don't worry, you would never have to force me to make Spock better, I couldn't permanently hurt my favorite Vulcan. I am DEFINITELY taking this as a compliment, don't hurt your grandma, and I love you too. lol. Tell me how you're doing after this chapter. :D

**Andrina Sparda: **Thank you very much! Hopefully this eases the traumatization.

xxxxx

"Cap'n." Scotty stood in the doorway. "You've got to get to the bridge. We've got to figure out an answer."

Kirk lifted his face from his hands and stared back at him with red, wet eyes. "I don't have one."

"But—"

"Contact Mr. Sulu," Kirk said stiffly. "Beam him aboard. He can make the decisions."

"But—why can't you—"

"I am emotionally compromised, Mr. Scott." With that, he turned back to Spock.

McCoy set a hand on his shoulder. "Jim, it doesn't do him any good to just sit there. Maybe you should go."

He whipped his head around. "Bones, if it was Nyota on this bed, would you leave?"

McCoy looked away and caught a glimpse of Uhura, asleep in a chair at her mother's side. "No," he said quietly.

"I thought so."

Wordlessly, Scotty marched out of the room.

Trying to gain hold of himself, Kirk cleared his throat and turned to McCoy. "Have you figured anything out so far?"

"There are possibilities, but none that can be safely used on a Vulcan or a human."

"Such as?"

"Well, omicron radiation, for one. But it would be toxic."

"And there's no way to cure the effects of the radiation?"

"No. It would kill them."

"What else?"

McCoy sighed, rubbing his chin. "I don't know, Jim. I'm at a loss. I think our best bet would be to disconnect them from the hive mind first. But I have no idea how that would even be possible."

"Blow up their bloody ship," came Scotty's voice. Behind him stood Sulu and Chekov.

Kirk turned in surprise.

"If you can't come to the bridge, Cap'n," Scotty said stoutly, "the bridge comes to you."

Uhura's eyes fluttered. "What's going on?"

Kirk considered her for a moment. "We're going to figure out how to destroy that cube."

Instantly, her dark eyes lit up with a fire of vengeance. "Good."

xx

"You believe we are monsters."

Synok watched her carefully as she circled him. "Yes. I do."

"We are more like gods than monsters, wouldn't you agree?"

He flexed his fingers. "Vulcans," he said through clenched teeth, "have been through the Age of Awakening; and here I see only miscreation."

In a flash, he brought his fingers to the neck of the Queen. In the flicker of a second before she went unconscious, her lips curled back, snarling; then, like a rag doll, she fell at his feet.

The voices of the Collective filled his head again.

_…She is still everywhere._

_…We will assimilate _all_ of Pomonus._

_…You are—_

_…You are not the Queen._

_No, _Synok thought. _I am not._ He knelt at the side of the unconscious Queen and took her face in his hands. For a moment, he hesitated. _I have done what needed to be done before, _he said to himself, ruefully remembering the release of the biological weapon on Chenar. _That was wrong._ _But this time—with this act of violence—I will really be saving them. _Tightening his grip, he snapped her neck.

Then he listened.

_…Where am I?_

_…What will we do?_

_…You are not the Queen—you—where—_

_…Who is the new Queen?_

xx

"Fire everything." Kirk's eyes clouded over.

"Wait! Captain, we're being hailed. By the Borg."

Kirk raised an eyebrow. "Onscreen."

The image struck him so hard he fell back into his chair. Thousands of drones lay haphazardly on the floor like discarded toys. Amid the quiet chaos stood the last person Kirk expected to see. _"Synok?"_

He inclined his head. "It is over."

A string of disconnected words raced through his head. He was only able to articulate one. "How?"

"I am a Vulcan," came his simple answer. "She warned me what she was going to do to me. So I fought it. And I used my access to the Collective to bring her down."

"Who?"

Uhura answered that question. "The Queen."

"The Collective is already searching for a replacement. I can hear them. They are calling for the Primary Adjunct of Unimatrix 01. Repeatedly. If you are able, I would suggest disconnecting any assimilated individuals at once."

Uhura stared at him in horror. "Three of Nine. Primary Adjunct of Unimatrix 01."

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Quite certain. There are thousands of minds repeating the designation."

Without a warning, she sprinted into the turbolift and disappeared.

"Where's she going?" shouted Sulu.

"It's her mother," Kirk realized. "The new Borg Queen is lying in our ship's sickbay."

Sulu stared at him in horror.

Kirk turned back to Synok. "Keep this connection open," he commanded. "Sulu, you have the bridge."

"Where are _you_ going?" Sulu demanded.

"Sickbay," Kirk said, the light returning to his eyes. "I have an idea."

xx

McCoy met him with enthusiasm. "They're detached! I don't know how, but they're detached! At least, they have regained some semblance of independent thought—they're still connected to the hive mind—"

"Our old friend Synok took care of that for us," Kirk told him.

"_Synok?_ You shitting me?"

"Nope. Listen. We've got to get them disconnected from the hive mind."

"How is that going to happen?"

"They're connected via the cybernetics," Kirk said, "right?"

"That's right."

He handed him one of the Chenarian pulsar pistols.

"Jesus," he said. "You're asking me to shoot them?"

Kirk wanted to hit him. "Of course not. But on Pomonus, Spock said that when a pulsar is fired, it emits an electromagnetic pulse."

"Jesus, Jim, I'm a doctor, not a scientist. Out with it."

"It will disable the cybernetics," Uhura put in.

McCoy stared back at her. "Could it be so easy?"

Kirk clapped a hand down on his shoulder. "I highly doubt that any part of this is going to be _easy,_ Bones."

He stared down at the pistol in his hand. "What am I supposed to fire this at?"

"Put a hole in the wall," Kirk spat. "What do I care?"

McCoy moved toward Spock, but Kirk pushed him in the other direction. "Uhura's mother first."

He raised an eyebrow.

"She's apparently next in line to the Drone Throne," he deadpanned, trying his best to maintain some sort of control.

"Christ, Jim, this is no time for—"

"Just shoot," he said sharply.

"I sure hope you know what the hell you're doing," Uhura said.

Kirk snorted. "As always—so do I."

McCoy gripped the pulsar and blew a hole in the wall over Safiya's bed. Uhura knelt at her mother's side, her head bent in silent prayer.

The red light on her eyepiece flickered. Then went dark.

"Muir! Jensen! Get over here!" barked McCoy. "We need a higher dose of benzodiazepine. We've got to remove these goddamn cybernetics!"

Kirk seized the pulsar and raced to Spock's bedside, firing it into the wall. "Spock!" he yelled. "Spock, can you hear me?"

"He's still heavily sedated, Jim," McCoy reminded him. "He can't hear you."

"Then un-fucking-sedate him!" screamed Jim.

McCoy grabbed him by the shoulders. "Calm down," he said sternly. "You know what Spock would say to you right now?" He paused for effect. "You're acting illogically."

Kirk nodded, attempting to calm himself down.

"Sit down. Be patient. We're going to get him back."

xx

On the surface, the Chenari had taken advantage of the Borg drones' temporary confusion. The Vulcans, who were strong but no match for the Chenari, logically deduced that they would best serve the effort by disabling the assimilation tubules on unconscious drones, and attempting to rescue those who had only recently been assimilated.

T'Pax, the daughter of one of the Elders, opened up the Council building. "In here!" she shouted at a pair of Vulcans, who were moving a recently assimilated Chenari. Within minutes, it began to look like a makeshift hospital, with hundreds of new Borg drones lying in rows, waiting for their saving grace.

The drones were thinning; with no more reserves being sent from the Cube, their numbers dwindled. Their minds buzzed with confusion as they tried to sort out the voices of the Collective, distracting them from their task. There was no Queen. They now operated through chaos.

It was easier now that they had lost their primary source of direction, and the Chenari took advantage. As the violence raged around him, Spock Prime snapped out of his wrath. Simultaneously, sadness and satisfaction washed over him. Borg drones littered the soft sand, broken and dead. Some of them had, only hours ago, been Vulcan and Chenari; sentient, independent beings. He sank down onto one of the wide stone benches in the square.

"We have won." He looked up to see his Chenari friend, Statir, who inclined his head and sat down next to the old Vulcan.

Spock Prime shook his head. "There are no winners in war," he said with a sigh. "Victors, perhaps, but no winners. We have lost Chenari and Vulcans alike; we have killed our own brothers and sisters."

"Tough choices have to be made," he said matter-of-factly.

He looked to the sky, at the faint shape of the _Enterprise-A. _"Let us hope," he said, "that we have made the correct ones."

xx

The sickbay was quiet. In the middle of the room sat a large plastic bin, filled with the cybernetics that McCoy and his assistants had removed from Spock and his father, and from Uhura's mother.

The three of them rested, still mildly sedated.

"You couldn't get everything?" Uhura asked, breaking the silence. She was clinging to McCoy's arm, worriedly glancing at her mother.

"Your mom will never be rid of her cortical node, her ocular implants, or her assimilation tubules," McCoy said gently to Uhura. "If I tried to remove them, it could be fatal."

Tears pooled in her eyes. "Will she be—_herself _again?"

"I don't know," he said honestly. "I'm sure it will take some time. She's been a part of the collective for years."

"What about Spock?" Kirk demanded.

"Spock didn't grow much of anything," McCoy replied, "and I don't understand it. Sarek was only assimilated about an hour before Spock, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, he should have more of the cybernetics. He should have had his cortical node, like Sarek. But all we had to remove was the piece on the cheek."

Safiya awoke then, and gazed curiously around her. "Where… where am I?"

McCoy went immediately to tend to his patient. "You are aboard the _U.S.S. Enterprise-A,_" he answered. "My name is Dr. McCoy. This is Captain Kirk. And this—"

Her eyes widened. "Nyota?" she whispered. "Is that you? It can't be—"

A smile spread across her face. "It's me, Mom. Do you remember your name?"

She paused. "Three of Nine. Primary Adjunct of Unimatrix 01."

Uhura sat on the side of her bed and took her hand. "How about before that?"

She thought hard about this. "It's so quiet in here," she observed. "Why can't I hear them?"

"You're not part of the Collective anymore," Uhura said.

Safiya stared back at her daughter. "What?"

"You are no longer Three of Nine. You're Safiya Uhura."

"Where is Anisa? Erevu? Anisa—full-grown by now—"

Unable to stop the tears from coming, she began to cry. "Father and Anisa are dead," she whispered.

She was horrified. "How?" A tear slipped down her cheek; she wiped it off and stared at the wetness on her fingers.

"They died on Niobe," Uhura said simply, feeling it would be better if her mother didn't know the details.

"But you survived. And now you've saved me." She gazed at her daughter's uniform. "Starfleet?"

"Xenolinguistics. Communications officer."

Safiya smiled proudly. Then, realizing the back of her head felt oddly light, she brought a hand up to the back of her head and let out a shriek. "Nyota! Where is my support system! I'll die, I'll—"

"You're fine without it," she reassured. "It's going to take some time to get used to being human again, I know. But trust me. You'll be okay."

Safiya stared forlornly at her daughter. "It's been so long; I don't know if I can."

"We'll make it now," Uhura said, wrapping her arms around her mother and giving over to tears. "We'll make it. We're together again."

xx

Kirk removed himself to Spock's bedside. His first officer was still unconscious, but he was stable. His skin had returned to its original pale verdancy, and Kirk couldn't help but lightly run his fingers over the scars on his left cheek, hoping that they'd heal quickly.

He knew that Spock probably wouldn't approve of such a public display of affection, but he felt compelled. Gently lifting his hand, he held it in one palm as he softly touched the pads of his fingers to the pads of Spock's.

His eyes fluttered. "Jim?"

"Hey, Spock."

"Is my father stable?"

"Yeah. Bones said it looks like he'll make it."

Spock's eyes drifted closed again, and Kirk gently squeezed his hand. "Don't."

"Have you been here the entire time?"

"With the exception of twenty minutes on the bridge—yeah."

Weakly, his lips twitched into a modicum of a smile. "Fascinating. My condition has worried the unflappable James T. Kirk."

"You know I'm not unflappable," Kirk reproved, refusing to let go of his hand. "Not when it comes to you. You have no idea—I—you can't _imagine_."

"Then show me," Spock said, stretching up to place his fingertips on Kirk's face.

No words existed; Kirk thought in pure emotion, in vivid images. He shared it all with Spock—the fear of losing him; the relief at his recovery; the revelation he'd had, in the middle of a breakdown in the corner of sickbay, that he would give up his commission and go back to the cornfields of Iowa if that's what it took to keep Spock breathing.

_Illogical,_ came Spock's knee-jerk reaction. _Removing yourself from my presence would do little to keep me breathing. Quite possibly, it could have the opposite effect._

Kirk continued to call memories to his mind. The despair he'd felt, holding Spock on the transporter pad. Amazement that it had been less than a year; the fact that he looked out at the stars every night and gave thanks to whatever higher power decided to put Spock and those arresting eyes in his path.

He knew there were no words to tell Spock about the overwhelming, inexplicable feeling that threatened to drown him, and so he pushed all of this to the forefront of his mind in hopes that Spock could understand what Kirk could never say.

_ I can't live without you._

Spock broke the meld and threaded their fingers together. "My _t'hy'la,_" he whispered. "Would it comfort you to know that neither can I?"

Kirk's breath caught in his throat.

"Tynak once told me that having a human mother was a 'disadvantage'," Spock said quietly. "However, his remark led me to pursue a career in Starfleet; my career in Starfleet led me to you." He paused; his eyes had melted into slowly burning embers, shining like burnished gold. "Our world is chaos; I no longer feel bound to many of my ancestors' traditions. You bring a semblance of order—stability—comfort."

"Spock…"

"Therefore, though I realize that any period of exploratory relationship under a year is generally insufficient to make a decision about commitment in human terms, I extend this _kunat-so'lik_ to you, James Kirk, my _t'hy'la._"

Kirk felt as though he ought to reply with a litany of prose, but he felt nowhere near as eloquent as Spock. A simple phrase would have to suffice.

"Of course," he said quietly.

Spock broke into a smile. A full-on, room-lighting _grin. _McCoy noticed at once, and raised an eyebrow. "Good God, what's this about? A half an hour ago, you were nearing assimilation…"

Kirk just laughed. "Well, Bones, how else can I put it? I've just officially been taken off the market."

Very slowly, his eyes widened.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **Chapter dedicated to sesshomaru's fluff is mine, for general awesomeness and a new story idea… :D

Also, I just launched my website, which is utter nerd-dom with avatars, photomanips, fanfic, etc. The link is on my author page, or: http gisela-tinuelena (dot) webs (dot) com. I have a poll up to ask what I should write next… ;)

On to the replies for you lovely reviewers:

**Kurai-Hime: **Thank you! No matter how many times I hear it, it still makes me feel wonderful, and I appreciate it. Amarantine = total love. I adore Enya. "Drifting" is my favorite from that album, and I actually wrote a scene in _First Contact_ (the first story in this series) to that song. :)

**Proserpine: **Thanks!

**Secret Thought: **lol. I've been in such a ridiculous fluff mode lately. Obviously showing through in my writing.

**sexy-jess: **Much love for your massive reviews! :D I actually did get cupcakes for my birthday… lol… And I can't wait for opening night of the second Star Trek movie, because I'm totally going to wear my Starfleet shirt, and once my camera comes back from Best Buy, I am going to take a picture of myself wearing it and put it up on my website. lol. Yeah, Synok… if this was a crackfic, he'd be throwing a full-on temper tantrum by now. Kicking and screaming in the Unicomplex. HA! Yes, Uhura = very illogical… but I suspect that even Spock would respect her reasoning. I love Sulu and he needs more time in the spotlight. Thanks, I love when I can get readers to feel what the characters do! It warms my writer's heart :) lol. Yup, what an ego on that Queen. Good thing Synok takes her down a notch. Or several notches. I'm worried about Safiya, too, and she's my own character! ha :)

**Schubita: **aww, thank you! :D

**Mars-Eclipse: **Yup. A kunat-so'lik is a marriage proposal. :P

**Stormcloud22: **Well, I think it's only fair—you spend time reviewing, I should respond! Thanks for your comments! :)

**Hikaru: **lol, I loved the video. Brilliant. And aww! Thank you! I even smiled at Spock's smile. I just keep thinking of the all-out grin in "Amok Time." I love happy Spock. lol. I'm glad you've been enjoying—I always look forward to your reviews! Thank _you!_

**Naunet Elvina Amunet: **Thanks! Smiles are always great :)

**Ai-Sarang: **I think he's too happy to freak out… or is he? Haha. No, he's thrilled. :)

**grace1237: **There's a few chapters left. Yeah, Kirk settling down is quite the stretch, isn't it? But if he's got Antonia in _Generations,_ why not let him have Spock in our world? ;)

**hpets: **Absolutely! Weird bell shaking and all! ;)

**my renji-kun: **aww! lol :D

**DizzyBaby: **Thanks! Yup, he's made his recovery :)

**OritPetra: **Thank you for the birthday wishes and comments! Yes, the two Spocks are very different characters; their worlds and timelines have shaped them into two markedly separate individuals. What a compliment, by the way! I'll have to remember to swing by and check out your story. :) I'm glad that _First Contact_ didn't send you running for the hills, and I'm so happy that you've stuck with me the whole way! I do agree with you about the simplistic nature of the solution; however, like you said, I couldn't think of another way to do it without copying _Nemesis_. And, let it be known that the Borg have not been defeated; just paralyzed. For now. :)

**SnowKissYuki: **thanks :)

**sesshomaru's fluff is mine: **lol, fainting Kirk. Crackfic is good though. Laughing = awesome. lmao… of course Spock tamed him to ride him ;) Your idea is a good one: side-story about Safiya & etc. I'll add it to my project list. lol, Spock Prime could just mind meld with you and he would know that your only intent was to comfort him, and he'd overlook the towel-cape… hahaha YES, I love the speculation that cliffhangers bring!! My theory is that Kirk's shirt is ugly so whoever he's trying to seduce will just want to pull it off. If you ever do watch Heroes… seriously, message me. I will give you a rundown of moments to watch for. And ones you'll need to pause and squeal over. Season 3 gets better. :D Sylar is definitely evil and that's just hot to me. lol

**MirrorFlower and DarkWind: **It was Bones. Maybe I should have been more clear. And thank you! Glad it made you happy :D

**tilly-tally-tease: **:D Yes, I needed my fluffy sickbay proposal :) Remembering Spock Prime's advice to his counterpart in XI—"Do what feels right"—I think Spock Prime really embraced his human side after being marooned on Delta Vega. Obviously his logical side helped to keep him alive but, especially after meeting the alternate Kirk, I think some long-buried emotions really came to the surface.

**Catri Howlman-Carthaki spy: **yay, I'm glad. :) I explained Spock's resistance to the technology in this chapter. _Kunat-so'lik_ is a Vulcan marriage proposal. Hooray for good sleep and normal blood pressure. No hard feelings. :D And yes, it is true indeed that a large number of the people who write slash are female. Academic studies (crazy, right) show that a major reason for this is that it allows females to live out fantasies of their favorite male characters without becoming jealous of another female character. I would say there's probably a measure of truth to that. I'm just incredibly enamored with the idea of Spock and Kirk together because of their friendship and, of course, because Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto are ridiculously hot. ;)

**lovefan81: **no problem! We'll get to more of Uhura's mother later—perhaps _much_ more, as sesshomaru's fluff is mine has suggested that I do a side story about their family and what they've gone through. Ceremony—of course!  
**Yana5: **thanks!

**Andrina Sparda: **Good to know I'm taking away the trauma!! :)

xx

"It's a shame." Sulu stared at Synok, who was being attended to by one of McCoy's assistants. They sat in the good doctor's office, waiting for the Vulcan to regain consciousness.

"A shame? The guy almost annihilated an entire goddamn race of people!" spat McCoy.

"And thanks to him, what's left of two endangered races were saved from complete assimilation!"

"One of those races wouldn't have been endangered in the first place if—"

"_Look,"_ Kirk interrupted, his voice firm. "It's not like he's going to get _away _with anything. Okay? He's still an asshole, he's just an asshole who happened to do the right thing today." He paused, looking from the navigator to the doctor. "Now, can you _please_ not kill each other? After we're finished here, we're going up to the observation deck. We have some good news to celebrate."

Synok flickered into consciousness, and his attending physician scanned him with a tricorder. Satisfied with his vital signs, she helped him to sit up. After asking him a couple questions, the physician nodded in the direction of the office.

One by one, the crew filed out to speak with Synok.

"I feel as though I am about to be congratulated or condemned," he said calmly, staring up at the solemn faces.

"Maybe both," Kirk said regretfully. "Synok, what you did today—it saved thousands of lives. For that deed, you deserve to be lauded as a hero. But there's still the matter of what you did to the Chenari."

Synok lowered his gaze.

"We must bring you back to the Federation," Kirk said. "I'm sorry."

To everyone's surprise, the Vulcan nodded. "It is your duty to bring me back, Captain. I understand. I also understand that I must face the reality that I committed a horrible crime, and I must take responsibility for what I have done. I am prepared to face my punishment. I consider my actions today only a small bit of the debt I must repay to the universe. I know this does not redeem me; hopefully it will be only the beginning of a new life with a new purpose."

Not knowing what to say, Kirk simply nodded. "I won't lock you up, Synok. You can spend the rest of your time on the _Enterprise_ in sickbay. We'll post guards, though. You understand."

"I do," he said.

"A moment, please," Kirk said.

After the crew had filed out, Kirk perched on the edge of the Vulcan's bed. "Thank you," he said earnestly.

"As I said, Captain. It does not make up for my actions on Chenar. But I appreciate your gratitude."

"No, you don't understand. My—my first officer had been assimilated. You saved him before any more cybernetics could grow, and I'm in your debt. When we get back to Starfleet, I'll have a word with Admiral Pike. I'm sure they can figure out a sentence that doesn't involve you rotting away in a cell for the rest of your life."

"I would appreciate that, Captain."

xx

McCoy, on Kirk's orders, had hunted down two bottles of champagne and seven glasses and brought them to the observation deck. As the doctor filled the flutes, Kirk stared out the window into space. At warp speed, the stars were like diamond bullets. Watching them fly by made him feel invincible; the _Enterprise-A_ dodged every bullet, every star, every time. It gave him a rush.

"Well?" Scotty said brightly. "What's the big news, Cap'n?"  
Kirk turned from the window and glanced at Spock. "I'm not good at speeches," he said.

"Very well," came his first officer's reply. "The news is that I have extended a _kunat-so'lik_ to the Captain."

Scotty raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What's that?"  
Uhura uttered a soft syllable of surprise, and a grin lit her face. "It's a marriage proposal."

"A—_what?" _Scotty gaped. "Are you serious?"

Nodding, Kirk smiled.

Uhura laughed. "Let me be the first to say that I have no idea what you see in him, Spock, but I am beyond happy for the two of you. I—well, there are just no words. Congratulations." She raised her glass.

"Hell of a toast, Lieutenant," Kirk said sarcastically, but he was smiling.

"Let me second that," laughed McCoy. "Mr. Spock, you have no idea what you're getting yourself into."

In a very uncharacteristic gesture, Spock allowed himself a small smile and let his fingertips gently brush those of his _t'hy'la._ "Yes, Doctor, I do—and it is the most logical decision I have made to date."

Kirk tried hard not to blush, but he wasn't sure he was successful.

Finally, the spotlight shifted, and they began to break into their own conversations. Uhura, a smile playing on her face, sauntered over to Spock.

"Kind of a rash decision for a logical Vulcan, don't you think?"

The corner of his mouth quirked upward. "It was not 'rash,' Lieutenant. I have been aware of my desire to call him my lifelong mate since the day of his promotion."

"That was over six months ago," she whispered.

Spock inclined his head. "Precisely. Since that day, I have meditated on possible outcomes, and the logical conclusion—" He paused.

"Was?" prompted Uhura.

"To follow the advice of my alternate self." Fondly, he looked over at Kirk. "To do what feels right. Furthermore," he added, "we have proven compatible in all significant ways."

"Well, I'm happy for you, Spock."

"Thank you." He paused. "How is your mother?"

Uhura stared down into her glass. "She keeps asking how Erevu and Anisa died."

"Have you told her?"

She shrugged. "No. But I know I'll have to tell her soon enough," she whispered. "Is it wrong to want to protect her from it?"

"I do not believe so. It shows that you care for her."

Uhura nodded, fighting tears. "I don't think she'll ever be the woman I remembered."

"Life changes us all," Spock told her. "She may not have retained all of her personality traits, and she may have adopted the Borg philosophy. But at her core, Nyota, she still is your mother, and she cares for you."

"I'm so glad we've stayed friends," came Uhura's response.

"I understand that it is not the usual human behavior to remain good friends with past lovers."

"I'm not a usual human," Uhura said with a smile. "That's why we got along so well in the first place. I was always the 'practical' one in my group of friends. The logical one. When it came down to it, we were both able to see that we weren't compatible. A friendship can exist when a romantic relationship can not."

"Indeed." His mouth twitched. "I have been fortunate enough to find one who can be both friend and lover."

Kirk, meanwhile, was bent in conversation with McCoy.

"I still don't believe it," the doctor said, tipping his flute back.

Kirk ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah," he agreed. "Me neither."

"Is that a good or a bad thing?"

With a chuckle, he shrugged "It's good. It's amazing. I'm just—this came out of nowhere. A year ago, I was nailing two girls a week at the Academy. And now—I know it's totally weird of me, Bones, but he was exactly what I needed. _Is_ exactly what I need."

"Christ, Jim—he's so different than anyone else you've been with. And I'm not just pointing out the obvious anatomical difference."

Suppressing a chuckle, Kirk nodded. "A bunker and a bomb. You'd think we'd clash."

"You did clash. He marooned you on an ice world, in case you've forgotten."

"Water under the bridge," said Kirk with a wave of his hand. "We didn't understand each other back then. It's different now."

"Different."

"Yeah," Kirk said, a smirk appearing on his lips. "We've gotten more acquainted with each other's… what was your phrase? Anatomical differences."

"Good God, Jim, I don't want to _hear_ about it—"

Kirk was laughing too hard to pay attention.

xx

After the celebration ended, Kirk and Spock retreated to the Captain's quarters, shed their uniforms, and crawled into bed together.

"It's going to be normal soon," Kirk realized. "This."

"It has been our usual pattern for approximately two weeks."

Which Kirk was well aware of, and quite happy about. They always slept in Kirk's quarters, which meant it was always just a little too cold for Spock, which in turn meant that the Vulcan spent most of the night clinging to his Captain's side.

"So," Kirk said, rolling over on his side. "How are we going to do this?"

"Clarify."

"The—the _wedding." _It was the first time he'd used the word in referring to _them_, and he felt a rush of adrenaline. Saying it made it real.

"If you do not object, I would prefer a traditional Vulcan ceremony."

Immediately, Kirk tensed. "Is someone going to challenge me for the right to you?"

"Only you or I can call for the _kal-if-fee,_" Spock reassured him, with a twitch of his lips.

Underneath the sheets, Kirk extended his hand until he found Spock's fingers. He let them dance with those of his first officer, kissing him, relishing the soft tingle that buzzed through their skin.

"We'll wait," Kirk whispered, "until your father is better. Then we'll go to the surface."

Spock raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Jim, I am not in _pon farr. _It is not imperative that we have a ceremony at once. I realize that humans have engagement periods which generally last from six months to one year. I do not wish to make you feel rushed."

In response, Kirk pressed his lips to Spock's warm ones. "Waiting," he breathed into Spock's ear, "would be… illogical."

Spock's lips twitched and he pulled Kirk in for another kiss. On impulse, the Captain let his eyes flutter open; dark, intent Vulcan eyes watched him from millimeters away. He was quite sure it was a shock he'd never overcome, the fact that those eyes were _his_ now, for the rest of his life…

_The rest of my life. _Kirk almost laughed out loud. _If someone had told me a year ago that I'd be getting _married_ before I was thirty—to a Vulcan—a Vulcan _male—_I'd have asked how many drugs Bones had shot them up with._

Gently, Kirk traced Spock's fingers with his own, letting his thoughts wander to uncharacteristic places for him. The knowledge that no one could read his mind comforted him. Except for Spock—and he didn't think he'd mind if Spock saw these thoughts.

Knocking out the wall between Kirk's quarters and Spock's quarters, making it _their_ quarters. Did Starfleet regulation allow for that? …_Fuck regulation. It's my ship_. Chess and really good conversation, followed by hot sex where the winner got to top. Having two homes to go to. Bringing Spock home to meet his mother—God, would _that_ be priceless. Did Vulcans wear wedding rings? Being thankful that Synok had stopped the Borg—at least temporarily—before Spock grew any more cybernetics—

"Hey, Spock."

"Yes?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course." He ran his fingers through Kirk's hair.

"How's it possible you only grew one little piece of Borg technology?"

His eyes softened. "Similar to Synok's resistance to complete connection to the hive mind, I was able to concentrate and focus on resisting the nanoprobes, much like I focused on healing aboard the bird-of-prey on which we were held captive." He paused. "I was aware of your fixation for my eyes. I did not wish to see them damaged." His cheeks filled with color. "I admit to a small fraction of fear on my part—"

Instantly, Kirk knew what he was about to say, and cut him off. "Spock, if you were covered from head to toe in scars from Borg cybernetics, that still wouldn't be enough to get me to stay away from you." He smiled. "Again. Completely illogical."

"Logic," Spock sighed. His smooth baritone fell quiet on Kirk's ear. "Our relationship has no root in logic. No full-blooded Vulcan will ever understand the choice I have made to take you as my mate. But I am lost to you now, Jim; no amount of reason could save me." He dropped a soft kiss on his _t'hy'la's_ temple. "Nor do I wish to be saved."

"You talk too much," Kirk whispered hoarsely.

Spock considered this. He knew that Jim's flippant remarks always translated into something much more heartfelt. "Yes," he finally said, "I know." And he covered his Captain's mouth in a kiss.

xx

A/N: "I am lost to you now; there's no amount of reason to save me." –Jewel, "Break Me"


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: One chapter left! Thanks for all the reviews/suggestions/general awesomeness!**

**sexy-jess: **This chapter will probably feel final too, but I do have one more to go :) Yeah, I'm up in the air about Synok's fate. I'll see how I feel about it when I write tomorrow. He better hope I don't wake up on the wrong side of the bed! haha Yup… I'll bet Bones had to hear all the dirty details at the Academy. hehe… of course I can imagine that… cute Kirk! lol Thanks for all your compliments! And yes, isn't Jewel good?

**Stormcloud22: **Nope. Not too creepy. Unless you have a shrine. hahaha Yeah, I like the angst, but fluff is needed sometimes. I've got a couple of little spin-offs from this universe in mind—I don't know how much more I can do with this Spock and Kirk, though. Anyone have a plot bunny for me?

**Mars-Eclipse: **Thanks! Hope you like the ceremony!

**Catri Howlman Carthaki-spy: ***hugs back* Yeah, there are actually lots of academic studies. Crazy, isn't it? lol the anti-Snape-het pairings… I write Dramione, even though I want the hell out of Draco… maybe I just subconsciously insert myself into Hermione's place. Who knows. lol. I also have the major envy, who _doesn't_ want a Spock? And I agree… eyes or not, cybernetics or not, still complete love for that Vulcan. :D

**Hikaru: **lol… Spock's just so damn smart that he forgets other people's lack of knowledge sometimes. Or maybe he was just so distracted/happy by the fact that he was marrying Jim that he forgot that Uhura was the only other one who spoke his language. Yesss, Amok Time… I love that scene! Thank _you _for your reviews!

**Yana5: **indeed!

**Andrina Sparda: **Aww, that's so nice to hear. Thanks!

**grace1237: **Well, here you are—hope you like it!

**hpets: **Thank you so much!  
**SnowKissYuki: **Thanks!

**Secret Thought: **Well, now it's time! :D

**underneaththesheets:** Oh no, that's too bad! I share your anger at technology, I have had my share of infuriating computer problems. *sends hate vibes to the malfunctioning part on your computer* What malfunctioned, if I may ask? There are ways to recover info from your hard drive even when your computer dies—PM me and I will get my computer programming/genius husband to help, if he can. :)

**sesshomaru's fluff is mine: **There's a treat for you in this chapter, FYI. Yesss, crackfic... I wrote this ridiculous rambling crackfic based on Kelis' "Milkshake" at the inspiration of that Zachary Quinto shoot (have you seen it?)… anyway, it's basically based on some inside jokes between Mark and I and now he's urging me to post it. I'm like… no one will get it. lol. InuYasha though… ohh the sacred jewel shards… I haven't seen that in a long time. Yes, Spock/Kirk Kirk/McCoy on SO MANY LEVELS! hehe… Spock ripping Kirk's shirt off… mmm. All three of those Heroes reasons are very good, especially B. You haven't seen hotness until you've seen Quinto's Sylar. It's enough to make me squeal. hahaha… I love your translation of "you talk too much." :D Ahh, I _wish_ I was fluent in Spock… ;) Speaking of drunk Spock, check Lanaea's "Brain Matter," ch. 6. Laughed my ass off. Thanks as always!

**Celestia: **I'm glad you enjoyed!

**MirrorFlower and DarkWind: **haha… if only McCoy'd had a couple more glasses of champagne by that point, right? Thanks for the comments!!

**Ai-Sarang: **aww, thank you! Yup… aren't we proud of our Captain? haha :D

**tilly-tally-tease: **Not quite! Still this chapter and one more… don't rip your face! :( But I'm glad you're enjoying the fluffiness :D

**lovefan81: **I didn't even plan for it; I happened to be listening to the song while writing and it just hit me. That's so sad! I wonder if there's somewhere else you can get it. I'll stay on the lookout.

**my renji-kun: **aww yay! :D

**Sunsoarer: **Thanks for an honest assessment, I appreciate it! I, too, feel like I rush things at times—I'm working on that. Thanks for reading!

xxxxx

Spock stood at his father's side. They had given him an extra red shirt and black pants, owing to the loss of his clothes to McCoy's scissors as the doctor readied him for surgery.

"Are you prepared for transport?"

Sarek nodded. His fingers drifted to the small circle embedded in his forehead. "Doctor McCoy informed me it was impossible to remove the cortical node."

"Any attempt to remove it could prove fatal," Spock said quietly. "I predicted that you would not concern yourself with vanity."

"A correct assessment," Sarek praised, and his son inclined his head.

"I have contacted T'Pau," Spock told him, after a moment of silence.

Sarek's face became stoic. "And?"

"She has agreed."

Slowly, Sarek nodded. "I do hope you are not _too_ impatient," he said slowly, watching his son's eyes. "Do not mistake this for vanity, but I do not wish to misrepresent myself as a Starfleet ensign at my son's _koon-ut-kal-if-fee._ I would like a moment to change in to my own clothes." His lips twitched, much like his son's when he was amused.

"Of course."

Kirk stepped into the room then, and Spock immediately noticed that he had taken care to wear pressed slacks, as opposed to lazily plucking yesterday's pair from a crumpled heap on the floor, as he'd seen him do so many times before.

"Ready to go?" Kirk said brightly.

"Yes," Spock replied. "We are prepared."

The three of them headed to the transporter room, where Scotty was in the process of giving strict orders to the scared-looking technician sitting at the console. "Now you be bloody sure that the pattern buffers are operational _every time,_" he instructed, "or we could come back without clothes, or with sand embedded into our skin…"

"Jesus, Scotty, he's got it," McCoy chided, clapping him on the back. "Leave it."

"But if you're not careful…" Scotty continued to mutter under his breath about ending up like a beagle as he stepped up onto the transporter pad.

The crew materialized outside Sarek's house, and he immediately excused himself to change.

Spock turned to Kirk. "We are violating protocol."

"I left the ship in Whatman's capable hands," came Kirk's reassurance. "She can handle it."

"And how could we miss this?" McCoy said, putting an arm around Uhura. "Even if Jim _had_ paid attention to regulation, we sure as hell wouldn't have."

Kirk grinned. "Thanks, Bones."

Once Sarek emerged, looking much more dignified and Vulcan in a black robe with three symbols illustrated in beautiful threaded calligraphy, they set off.

"What do they mean?" Kirk asked.

Sarek considered him. "Concept, discipline, and process," he translated, tracing the silver letters as he spoke. "They are the techniques of the _T'san s'at_— the intellectual deconstruction of emotions and the effects of emotions on one's actions."

Kirk recalled a set of robes Spock kept aboard the Enterprise with the same characters. "Are you after that?"

Spock pondered a moment. "I believe," he said slowly, "you will teach me more about the effects of emotions on one's actions than meditation ever could. Furthermore, you have helped me realize different definitions of concept, discipline, and process. You could say that I have constructed my own _T'san s'at_."

Sarek said nothing, though Kirk suspected he was not entirely pleased with his son's continuous gravitation away from Vulcan tradition.

"It really is beautiful here," Uhura chimed in, breaking the silence.

Sulu nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it is. I didn't notice last time."

"I guess you don't really notice when it's pitch black and you're trying to kill drones?" Scotty cracked.

"The _forest,_" breathed Uhura, still transfixed by the planet's beauty.

Kirk smiled fondly, remembering his first venture into the tangle of trees with Spock. "You should see it from the inside," he said, and the corners of Spock's mouth lifted.

As they approached the marriage grounds, the party became silent. Sarek stopped at the edge of the block of houses.

"Your mother," he said quietly to Spock, "would be happy for you."

"She always told me that she would be proud no matter what path I chose."

Sarek nodded, and the emotion threatening to pour out became evident as he nodded briskly and took his leave of the crew, going off to join the processional. Kirk suddenly felt overwhelmed; Spock reached out to him and, as their fingers brushed together, he became grounded again.

The courtyard was beautiful. Tall, smooth obelisks of sandstone ringed the ceremonial plot; windchimes fashioned of teak breathed a soft percussion into the calm breeze. Specks of gold in the sand blazed up into topaz fire under the heat of the midday sun. In the center of the circle of stones, a hexagonal gong glistened in the light.

As Spock reached for the mallet, he turned to Kirk. "Traditionally, you should arrive with the wedding party, Jim."

He wore an amused smirk. "Are you trying to assign me a gender role?"

With a twitch of his lips, Spock hit the gong. A metallic crash echoed across the courtyard.

"Ah, weddings," Chekov said, sounding choked-up. "They always make me cry."

McCoy rolled his eyes. "I think I might throw up on you."

Shaking her head, Uhura elbowed him in the ribs.

Within moments, the sound of bells gave birth to a grand procession. Through the two tallest obelisks came the _gol'nevsu_, shaking instruments that reminded Kirk of diamond-shaped abacuses, with bells instead of wooden balls. _Systra,_ he recalled, from Spock's long description of Vulcan tradition.

Two attendants followed, carrying T'Pau in a Vulcan sort of palanquin. Her hair had been weaved into intricate braids, and she wore the stern, proud look of a _reldai._

Kirk should have been in line behind the priestess but, instead, Sarek and Spock Prime walked side-by-side. Briefly, he wondered if it was odd for Spock Prime to be watching his own wedding. Three guards brought up the rear, carrying the weapons required for a _kal-if-fee_ if either party should call for one. As the attendants set T'Pau down on a low platform, Kirk came to Spock's side.

T'Pau raised her hand in the Vulcan salute, and Spock stepped forward to return the greeting. He knelt in front of her, and Kirk bristled as she put her fingers to his face. It was a mind meld, of course, but for what purpose?

"Calm down, Jim," Bones whispered.

Spock stood, and T'Pau nodded. "This is most irregular," she said in a thick accent, "as our ceremonies usually do not include outworlders. However, since your intended mate is not a Vulcan, I will make the exception to allow your friends."

You'll_ make the exception? Who the hell do you think you are? It's _my_ wedding._ Kirk caught himself mid-thought and nearly groaned. _Christ, I _am_ being a woman about this._

"James."

The use of his full name startled him, and he looked up to see T'Pau scrutinizing him. "You have elected to take part in this Vulcan ceremony. What you are about to undergo comes down from the time of the beginning without change. This is the Vulcan heart. This is the Vulcan soul. This is—our way."

"What is Spock's way is my way," Kirk said earnestly.

She nodded curtly and raised a hand in the air, uttering a Vulcan word which Kirk didn't catch; he was occupied with Spock's eyes, which had softened into unimaginable beauty. Nothing existed at that moment, nothing but the two pools of melted mahogany before him. It was like his own mind meld for the ten seconds in which time stopped and he saw the world in Spock's eyes: their shared passion, their fierce fidelity, the time from their tentative yet reckless beginning on the bridge of the _Enterprise_ through now. Memories of fear for Spock's life aboard a bird-of-prey, in the Chenarian forest, on the surface of Pomonus. The spikes of jealousy whenever anyone touched him. The realization that this day was the end of some things—but the beginning of a future of brilliance and devotion and heartbreak, of violently beautiful _pon farr_ cycles, of endless chess games, of the demand he'd vowed to make of Starfleet: _more utensils, please, for our Vulcan crewmembers. _

The bells began to ring again, breaking the spell, and T'Pau indicated that Kirk should stand in the frozen processional. As he took his place between T'Pau and Sarek, Spock went again to the gong, taking up the mallet with long fingers, and let another crash ring out, summoning his _t'hy'la._

Kirk stepped out of line and went to Spock. It was all so surreal. He accepted the mallet from his first officer's outstretched hand, and struck the metal with a resolute swing. The sound, brassy and declarative, filled his ears.

"Come," said T'Pau.

Spock reached for Kirk's hand and, though T'Pau raised an eyebrow, did not let go. The electricity flowed between their fingers like a flood; it had _never _been like this, and Kirk didn't know if he felt weightless because of the cushion of sand beneath his feet or as a result of this inexplicable cosmos of energy that existed in their hands. Perhaps both; it didn't matter.

Once they reached the platform, they knelt in front of the priestess. T'Pau produced a plain earthenware cup with two handles, filled it with water, and handed it first to Spock. Solemnly, he took a sip, and passed it to Kirk.

"Your vows," T'Pau instructed, in her gravelly voice.

Spock reached for Kirk's hands. "Because my partner is human, I request your permission to add one human tradition to the ceremony."

T'Pau raised a discordant eyebrow.

"The recitation of vows," Spock explained, "is a valued human tradition."

The priestess gave a reluctant nod. "Very well."

Spock turned back to Kirk. "What I have to say is simple, Jim. You are my commanding officer. You are my friend. And you are my _t'hy'la._ I have been, and always shall be, wholly yours."

_Not good at speeches! _screamed his brain. And then he remembered standing on the observation deck two nights ago, staring out the window before Spock made the big announcement to the crew. Taking a deep breath, he looked back at Spock. "We spend every day of our lives dodging bullets in space. Together, you and I have survived black holes, assimilation, and torture. I can't help but think that together, we're invincible."

Chekov brushed away a tear, and Bones rolled his eyes.

"I think it's sweet," Uhura whispered, her own eyes misting over.

"Better not cry at our wedding," he whispered back. "Because it'll make me cry, and I'll _never_ live that down."

Surprised, Uhura gazed up at him.

"What can I say?" he said awkwardly. "You do to me what the goblin does to Jim."

Touched, she wrapped her arms around him.

"And now," T'Pau said, "the Vulcan vows."

Spock nodded. "Parted and never parted. Never and always touching and touched."

As Kirk stared back at him, at his _t'hy'la, _he felt something was wrong. The energy created an ocean in their palms, tributaries in their fingers, and he knew he couldn't repeat those vows. "Never parted," Kirk amended, his voice strong. "Never and always touching and touched."

T'Pau raised an eyebrow, but Kirk stood firm. "_Never_ parted," he reiterated.

Spock's eyes softened even further.

By this point, T'Pau had decided it was illogical to argue with these two men, no matter how non-traditional they were being. She raised her arms, and they rose, still grasping hands. "Thee are wed, Spock, son of Sarek, and James, son of George."

A lilting melody soared out above the teak chimes, and Spock and Kirk turned to see Spock Prime at a Vulcan harp, plucking out a familiar melody on the strings.

Uhura stepped forward and lifted her voice in song, articulating the Vulcan lyrics to Spock Prime's accompaniment. The song was an old one, a wedding song—

_"Ashalik, ashalik, ashayam_

_T'hy'la, taluhk nash-veh k'dular_

_Svi'meskulanik shaukaush_

_Svi'olozhikong vaksurong t'ashaya_

_Ashayam adun_

_Nash-ta'an t'adun qual na'tu."_

Spock smiled, realizing Uhura had replaced "adun'a" with "adun," owing to the fact that there was no wife in the bond. He reminded himself to thank her later.

But for now, two blue eyes, faceted like diamonds, gazed into him with a love and a hunger that he could not deny.

xx

Spock's home was small and modest, a comfortable place with soft brown walls, and Kirk immediately found the bed. The river ran past the window, and Kirk wondered if the rushing waters would be enough to drown out the noise he planned to make. His shirt had already hit the floor by the time Spock joined him.

"It is uncanny," Spock said with a tiny smirk, "the ability you possess to immediately find a suitable place for intercourse and subsequently undress so quickly." He shut the door and closed the curtains.

Darkness swallowed them, and Kirk almost wished his eyes wouldn't adjust, as Spock hovered over him, pressing kisses onto different spots of his body; collarbone, rib, stomach. The unpredictability aroused him, and he found his hands drifting across the wool of his _t'hy'la's_ uniform. His _adun._ He thought the word in Vulcan, then in English—_husband—_but there wasn't an English equivalent for _t'hy'la._ Kind of like there was no Earth equivalent for Spock.

But Spock was _his_ now, though he didn't know enough about the intricacies of the Vulcan language to create a possessive in his mind.

_Mine,_ he growled inwardly, as his eyes got used to the dim light and he pulled Spock's blue shirt from his torso.

xx

"You have a lovely singing voice," Spock Prime said to Uhura, as the crew prepared to beam back to the ship. "I am surprised you were familiar with the song."

She smiled. "Thank you. Yeah, I picked it up at Starfleet—I love to sing, and I always liked to listen to the traditional songs written in the languages I studied." She paused. "So—you're—"

He nodded. "The alternate Spock. Well—alternate to you. To myself, I am the prime Spock."

"Sulu told us all what a hero you were down here."

"Mr. Sulu must be exaggerating."

Uhura shook her head. "If you're anything like our Spock, he's not giving you enough credit."

"How is your mother adjusting?"

"How did you—"

"Sarek informed me that he and Spock underwent a surgery, as did the mother of the communications officer."

She nodded. "Better. She's still adhering to some of the Borg philosophies, though. She remembers me, which is good, but she also remembers my sister and father and wants to know how they died."

"Why have you not informed her?"

Uhura shrugged. "She assimilated my sister. And my dad committed suicide. Kind of a nasty thing to tell your mom she's responsible for. I haven't been able to come up with a way."

Spock Prime regarded her with kind eyes. "Perhaps," he said, "it would not be such a betrayal to simply tell her that your father and sister died fighting the Borg. Which is not entirely an untruth; it seems as though both your father and sister were defiant until the end."

She smiled fondly. "Like our Spock, then. Logical, yet caring."

"We're going up," came Scotty's voice.

Spock Prime raised his hand in the Vulcan salute. "Live long and prosper, Lieutenant Uhura."

Uhura made a small bow as she, along with the rest of the crew, vanished.

Alone in the ceremonial circle, Spock Prime took a moment to reflect. He had just witnessed his dream come true—he and Jim, joined together in marriage. Yet he felt helpless, sick, as if his stomach was ripping apart at the seams. Because it wasn't him. It was some other Spock. And his weathered fingers would never be able to clasp the hands of his own Jim and promise to love him for a lifetime.

Weeping, now, he approached the platform and knelt, lifting his gaze to the sky. "Jim, my _t'hy'la… _parted and never parted," he whispered shakily. "Never touching… yet forever touched."

xx

Translation of Uhura's traditional Vulcan wedding song:

My darling, my beloved one

_T'hy'la_, I cherish thee

In reciprocal desire

In the logic and beauty of love

Beloved husband

This gift of wife* is for you.

*Uhura, of course, switches out "wife" for "husband."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Fluff/NC-17ish chapter… yay for consummation of the marriage!

And gah, I'm sorry, forgive my late update. Projects have begun in my summer class. :(

Also, I know this was supposed to be the last chapter, but—yeah. It's not.

Know your Vulcan: _adun = _husband :)

xx

**SnowKissYuki: **aww, thank you!

**underneaththesheets: **I'm taking a break after finishing _Assimilation_ to work on some real-world projects (a.k.a my novel, and the crap I have to do for class.) But, your idea is fascinating, as our favorite Vulcan would say :D and I'll see what I can do. I think I may have some ideas. I like a challenge.

**hpets: **Poor Spock Prime, indeed. I cannot stress how badly he needs a big hug!

**Catri Howlman-Carthaki spy: **I'm pretty sure Synok will get a lighter-than-usual sentence. I wonder how the Chenari would feel about that—seeing as how he destroyed most of them, then saved the rest of them. I'm glad about good speechlessness! :D

**lovefan81: **I got way carried away with these two in this chapter, so that means this gets to have one more chapter added. Sequel—probably not, we'll see—I did have an idea while watching the movie for the 3rd time that might make a great prequel, so we'll see about that. And I do have some planned spinoffs that exist in this universe, e.g. a more thorough telling of Uhura's story. lol about Spock—all I can think of is Jocelyn's handmaid in _A Knight's Tale. _"Maybe where he comes from, it means love."

**Stormcloud22: **Plot bunny hereby added to my little down of bunnies. :) I have come across several fanfics that I wished were real episodes, it warms my heart to think I wrote one that someone thinks is good enough to be acted out! Chekov—weddings—who knows. By the time I was 17, I'd been to at least 4 or 5. Lots of family members.

**sesshomaru's fluff is mine: **ahaha! Thought you'd like it. I needed to leave the ship with someone… who better? ;) I was on LJ, on an XI prompt community, and came across the prompt: Spock adopts a cat. It went on to mention that it should make him all cute and Kirk should fall for him, and bonus points if the cat was named Tiberius. It made me laugh. And, hey, why take the Enterprise for a joyride when you can take a joyride _inside_ the Enterprise? ;) Ohh… I don't think anyone watching that milk shoot could take their mind out of the gutter. Nope, I have never seen the steak one. Yup, if I was Vulcan I'd be drunk 24/7. lol… as always, your translations are flawless :D And yes, James T. Kirk = a badass marshmallow. haha!

**hikaru: **aww! :) Yes, weddings always make me cry. thank you for pointing out everything you liked! It made me smile :) Your reviews mean a lot to me, and I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter!

**Andrina Sparda: **Thank you! I was hoping to be able to pull the Vulcan ceremony off okay. Probably not a sequel… chances for a prequel though, set in XI itself. Perhaps.

**Kurai-Hime: **It would be the strangest feeling, wouldn't it?

**Yana5: **thanks!

**Demi: **aww! *sends you a box of Kleenex* I'm so glad you like it!

**Mars-Eclipse: **I just didn't think that Kirk would ever agree to be apart. Protective!Kirk, you know… has to stay by his _t'hy'la's_ side. :)

**Naunet Elvina Amunet: **I should just do it. Randomly mention in an epilogue that they found each other. lol. But that would be way too much of a happy ending. I'm definitely up for more Spork—they're too perfect to leave alone. Next on my plate, probably: more stories in this series (spinoffs/perhaps a prequel), I have a request for a Transformers fic (which will probably be short), and I have some unfinished stories I'd like to wrap up. Sulu/Chekov is starting to intrigue me though, TBH. This is a distinct possibility.

**tilly-tally-tease: **Jim-less-ness! I love it! Well, not the concept. But the word. :) Thank you for reading and reviewing! I'm glad you like the stories, it's been a pleasure reading your reviews!

**MirrorFlower and DarkWind: **Me too! :( Thanks!

**Secret Thought: **Aww! All it takes is some slash to brighten a day, right? And I've always thought Bones and Uhura belonged together. Their personalities just seem to mesh well.

**my renji-kun: **thanks! Yeah, it's hard for me to believe too!

xx

"God," Kirk breathed. They were nested in a tangle of blankets made from a smooth fabric; the Captain had suddenly stopped, paralyzed by the feeling of his first officer's soft palms on his skin.

"What?"

"You." He reached for one of Spock's hands. "Sometimes," he began, "when we're on the bridge, I like to watch you type. It drives me crazy. I could spend hours, you know? Touching them. Kissing you. Talk about illogical, but I want to memorize every last ridge on your fingertips. And so I have to sit there, in the captain's chair, trying to remain professional, while dealing with a raging hard-on and my fetish for your fingers."

Spock actually let out a chuckle— though, for him, it was more like a soft ejection of breath through his nostrils. "What a quandary."

"Tell me you don't get urges on the bridge."

He inclined his head. "As our first sexual encounter occurred on the bridge of the original _Enterprise, _it is only logical for my mind to link the area next to the captain's chair to that memory."

Which was, of course, Spock-speak for "you have _no_ idea." Satisfied with this answer, Kirk closed his mouth around the forefinger and middle finger of Spock's left hand. Spock let out a soft moan, relishing the wet warmth of his _adun's_ mouth, the thrill of things that shouldn't mix—moisture and sparks.

Spock leaned into him, his radiant heat blasting Kirk like a furnace; as he absorbed the warmth, the Captain took solace in the knowledge that they had days to spend in this unlikely paradise before returning to the _Enterprise-A_. So, Kirk took his time, giving attention to each finger, tongue swirling around the ridged tips of each digit as if he had something _else_ of Spock's in his mouth.

His first officer melted against him, and Kirk marveled at the sheer fragility of the seemingly stone-hearted Vulcan. Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around the warm body, letting the fingers fall from his mouth, and pressed his lips against Spock's instead.

Spock's mouth moved against his, tongue gently invading, dancing. Kirk couldn't stop marveling at how _good_ Spock was at these human intimacies, gestures of affection that didn't exist on Vulcan, things he'd only practiced in solitude with his Captain.

It was a crush, a flood, all of the rivulets of divine energy flowing freely from Spock's fingertips, electrifying every square inch of Kirk's body as his first officer drank him in through the sense of touch. Intimacy, now, was devouring them both, a frenzy of tongues and fingers and palms and toes, the mild heat of a human and the smolder of a Vulcan, culminating in a fire so bright it could outshine any star.

_I love you—_the words ran like an errant child through Kirk's hysteric brain, but the words wouldn't form on his lips. So he tried to tell Spock through touch. As he let his fingertips trail along the delicate curve of Spock's back, he regretted that he didn't carry a Vulcan tingle to transfer to his _adun's _warm skin. Spock trembled beneath his touch. Kirk ached to articulate the phrase consuming him, but he let his fingers speak until he recalled the proper phrase.

_"Taluhk nash-veh k'dular," _Jim whispered, and somehow the words were easier in a different language, though the syllables stumbled forth awkwardly, in a thick Terran accent.

Spock's eyes softened—pools of the darkest light. _"T'hy'la," _he said softly, clasping their hands together. "And I love you."

A rush of adrenaline loosed itself inside of Kirk as Spock gently let his fingers kiss their way down his arms. Everything about him was so elegant, so bold—the firm slant of his eyebrows, the dark abyss of his pure human eyes, the plateau of his cheekbones, defined and prominent under pale skin. His lips, so often slightly pursed in a stern, thoughtful line, had parted; his breathing, normally so methodical, had unleashed itself on his lungs, coming in uneven gasps and sighs.

Spock, naturally, catalogued every feature of Jim's, though the categories were not nearly as scientific as his usual classifications. His lips, warm and inviting, turned up at the side in a semi-permanent smirk, ended up in the "succulent" category. His hands, though several degrees cooler than Spock's own, were "warm." And his eyes, palest blue, periwinkle, eyes that turned the color of Neptune when the Captain was sufficiently aroused—_ah, Neptune—_these found their way into the classification of "paralyzing." _Illogical,_ Spock's mind said, for a split second—_I have never been rendered immobile by Jim's eyes—_

And then Kirk gazed over at him, and Spock had to correct himself mid-thought. _Yes. Paralyzing._

Kirk knelt over him, appreciating the sight of Spock gazing up at him. His mind took him back to that first night on the bridge, when he'd bent down in this exact position and allowed himself a moment to linger on Spock's ears, catching the point of one in his teeth.

"May I inquire as to what you are staring at?" Spock asked, noticing the faraway look.

"Your ears," he whispered. "They're very…"

"Yes?"

Their noses were millimeters apart; Spock's strong hands held his torso in the air. Kirk grinned. "Fascinating."

As Spock's lips twitched, Kirk bent down, enveloping his earlobe in his mouth, then traced the ridge with the very tip of his tongue, all the way to the sharp peak. Beneath him, Spock shivered. And something about it felt like the first time all over again, that same sense of urgency—but without the forced rush this time. He could savor the feeling of Spock's fingertips lingering on his skin, the flavor of the lips firmly pressed against his, the gossamer of Spock's hair—jet-black, smooth and glossy as cornsilk. They could lose themselves without fear of discovery, without time restraints, without any inhibitions.

Aching to be filled, Spock gently urged him inside. His eyes, as usual, flickered wildly as Jim eased past the first ring of muscle with an involuntary tremor, then calmed as he carefully moved the rest of the way.

Kirk lifted his _adun's_ pelvis into the air, and Spock's eyes widened. "Jim?"

"Trust me," he whispered, and Spock nodded.

As he moved, dropping a soothing kiss on Spock's knee, his first officer relaxed into the pillow. "This is surprisingly pleasing."

"Let me step it up, then." With surprising strength, he lifted the lower half of Spock's body so that his thighs hovered in midair, ankles resting on his shoulders, and began to thrust.

"Jim," he panted, "it seems as though you have found the optimal position—" He lost power of speech as Kirk pumped harder.

_From anyone else,_ thought Kirk, _that would be terrible pillow talk. But somehow, Spock makes it hot. _

"Jim, I—_oh."_ Spock's eyes widened, and in his ecstasy, he slipped into his native tongue. "_Weh-sahris... weh-sahris... ah, t'hy'la, sanoi..._"

Fortunately, Kirk knew enough Vulcan to know what he was begging for, and sped up his pace. Though he'd thought, from glancing over a few diagrams of Vulcan anatomy, that this would never be enough to bring his partner to climax, he was never one to back down from a challenge. _Maybe,_ he surmised, _he's more human inside than I thought._

But the look on Spock's face—a masterpiece of intensity and love and pleasure—combined with the fact that Spock was ridiculously _tight, _proved to be too much for James T. Kirk. Within minutes, he was clutching at the thighs he still held in the air.

"Spock—_Spock, _I can't wait any longer, I'm—"

"Fill me," growled Spock, and that put him over the edge. He obeyed, letting go, releasing every last drop inside his first officer. Exhausted but determined, he continued to thrust.

Spock put a hand up to his chest. "Let me—Jim, I want—"

Wordlessly, Kirk slipped out and laid down beside Spock, pressing a kiss to his lips. "What?"

A pale green afterglow blossomed on Spock's chest, and he turned on his side to face Jim. "I find words insufficient to explain how I am feeling."

Kirk smiled. It was still strange to hear Spock speak in terms of emotions and feelings. "Show me."

Obligingly, Spock extended his fingers and melded with Jim.

Kirk suddenly felt warmer, radiant, his eyes an oasis in the desert of sand beneath the canopy of the Pomonian forest. Spock moved within his consciousness and Kirk perceived him as a blossom, watered by his eyes, nourished by his light— _But this is not me,_ he protested.

_This is what you are to me, _came Spock's reply.

Somehow, they carried each other, fuchsia bud and stream of sunlight, until they burst through the leafy ceiling; then, all of a sudden, the light seamlessly merged with the flower, and its petals fluttered like the wings of a monarch butterfly—vivid, majestic, strong.

The words spoken on the marriage grounds came soaring back to Kirk. _Together, we are invincible._

A shower of fire rained down from the sky, and the petals did not singe; the light did not fail.

_Invincible,_ Spock's voice echoed, embedding the word in his mind.

In that moment, Kirk realized that Spock was infinity. He could not fathom that anyone existed before him—not Gaila, not Cybele, not Melanie—and he was sure that, even if Spock were struck dead tomorrow, there would never be another. _T'hy'la. Adun._ Best friend. First officer.

Irreplaceable.

As Spock took his fingers from Kirk's skin and they both returned to the real world of bed and skin and beating hearts, their fingers gravitated together.

"I have another phrase to teach you," Spock whispered.

Kirk was pretty sure he could live off of the electricity in Spock's fingers. "What's that?"

_"K'hat'n'dlawa_," Spock articulated carefully.

He lifted an eyebrow. "I think that's one of the ones I can't pronounce. What does it mean?"

"It means one who is half of one's heart and soul in its deepest sense."

"Why haven't I came across this one in my studies?"

Spock gave a mild smile. "It still—_warms_ me to know you have begun to study my language."

Embarrassed, Kirk shrugged.

"It became unfashionable after Reformation because of its emotional connotation," answered Spock. "I think, however, it describes that meld rather well."

"I don't think so," argued Kirk, and Spock raised an eyebrow. "That meld implied that we've ceased to be halves, Spock." He pressed his fingertips delicately against Spock's. "It implied that we've just become one entity."

"I must admit, Jim, I find myself illogically aroused when you speak articulately."

Kirk grinned. "That's logical as hell. Of course you'd like me going all academic and statistics on you."

Spock's response was to plant a row of kisses along Jim's collarbone, evenly spaced, given equal amounts of pressure. Kirk knew he was messing with him in the form of perfect symmetry, skipping the hollow between the two bones, then raising a buzzing index finger to trace tiny circles in the space.

Relaxed, Jim settled back into the shell of the bedclothes, savoring every inch of his first officer as he entered. Immediately, he made himself into a vise for Spock, clenching with all his might just for the enjoyment of seeing the look of awe in his eyes, of watching primal desire etch its way onto all the elegant angles of his normally oh-so-composed face.

He lifted his eyes, blue like Neptune, and wordlessly implored the man above him to let go, just as he had once done outside the ninth planet. A slight incline of Spock's head told him he'd oblige, and Kirk felt that goddamned _amazing_ sensation, the feeling of being explored to his very core. It was raw, it was intimate, and it made him feel more alive than breathing itself.

If nothing else, Spock was strong, and his sharp motions sent Kirk sliding up the bed. It occurred to him that this position was somewhat awkward, backed up at a broken angle against the hardwood headboard, but he was in no fit state to care—Spock had begun to growl.

"Jim," it was, and then a guttural moan. "Oh, Jim…"

It was easier, obviously, for Spock to reach the spot inside of Kirk, and the Captain's own eyes flickered in the failing light. "God… _yes…"_

Spock pulled gently on the soft tendrils of Jim's hair, damp with sweat, as they rocked together in the Pomonian heat. He bit softly down on his bottom lip, as he was wont to do during intense experiences, but Jim could only pay attention to his eyes. His eyes eclipsed everything else. _Nothing can get better than the look in those goddamn eyes,_ he thought, devouring the flickering gaze. _Nothing._

_"Jim,"_ he breathed, and his eyes were like two black holes; Kirk was lost in them, lost to them, blinded from the world around him by the two dark orbs flickering in ecstasy_. "Sanoi… t'hy'la… ah, _Jim… _Jim_…"

And if Spock loved academic vernacular, Kirk melted at the rough Vulcan syllables. "Spock," he whispered. "Yes. Spock—"

And just like the meld, the syllables began to melt together, until one voice became undecipherable from the other, and the room echoed with the cries of the two names, at once dissonant and harmonic, a violent blooming of fuchsia and exploding of light into a supernova unlike any other in the history of the universe.

Breathing hard, they fell to the bed together, an illuminated flower, a tangle of limbs and lips, and surrendered to sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: I'm so sorry this took so bloody long. Writer's block + school projects + moving = late chapter. :(

**Mellyna: **Thank you! This is the last chapter, but I have some other material planned for this universe.

**blueberrypecan: **I just melted at your review. Thank you so much for all your kind words! It's so wonderful to hear things like that… and a re-read is quite possibly the biggest compliment an author can receive. Thanks!

**Nasyki: **To each his/her own! I'm glad you liked the first two, but I can understand how this part of the trilogy is a turnoff if you don't like het. :) If I do a prequel, you can bet it will be slash-centric. Thanks for reading and commenting!

**lovefan81: **aww, thanks! I hope you like the final chapter!

**carmade: **thank you, I hope you like it!

**WhispersofNature: **Well, I'm glad you did too! :D I'm not sure I'm ready to say goodbye either… that's why I might go back and tack something on to the beginning. This all started with a oneshot, so I'm kind of wanting to put something substantial in front of this. :)

**SnowKissYuki: **Good… that's what I was hoping for ;)

**tilly-tally-tease: **And you know it would drive Spock crazy! ;) hehe

**Naunet Elvina Amunet: **Thanks for reading! I've had nights where a good chapter update has made me feel better or ended my day on a good note, so it makes me happy when I can do the same for others. :)

**Mars-Eclipse: **I know, right? The thought came to me and then I was like gah… I like this too much. lol

**sesshomaru's fluff is mine: **ugh, lame! Dust and mess over all your stuff, that sucks. Oh by the way, are you on livejournal? Because if you are, you should check out ontd_startrek. I think you would have fun there, especially on party post nights. As for joyriding on the Enterprise… I am curious about the replicator too. Something tells me that the things that come out of there don't taste quite right. But I would be on those security tapes pronto. lol. As always, thanks for the review :D and P.S. "The Badass Marshmallow is clearly into kittens?" lol. I laughed so hard.

**Secret Thought: **hehe… that makes me smile, though, that I've written something so intimate. Thanks for the comment!

**underneaththesheets: **I've put your story idea on my list. I'm trying to think of how I would make it work… I'm not very familiar with the universe, I've only watched the two movies. Thanks for all your comments, I hope you like the last chapter!  
**my renji-kun: **Thanks!!

**Catri Howlman-Carthaki spy: **haha. I blush. ^_^ Yeah, I'd like to see this acted out too! I put some novel details after the story if you're interested. BTW, I'm glad you're working on SEE Trek Love! This is going to be great, isn't it?

**MirrorFlower and DarkWind: **Thanks! Here's the last installment!

**hikaru: **Thank you! I'm glad those moments stand out—the things you pointed out were all things I was hoping to paint vivid pictures of. The Vulcan dictionary that I use is at www (dot) starbase-10 (dot) de (slash) vld. To answer your question, I definitely plan on writing more K/S fic, I don't think I could stay away if I tried. I'm trying to focus mostly on my novel, but I'm pretty sure I'll sneak some slash in here and there. :)

**hpets: **They are the original and the best! Thanks! :)

**Yana: **thank you!

xx

As Kirk and Spock drifted off to sleep under a canopy of stars, McCoy and Uhura disappeared inside the communication officer's quarters and crawled into bed together.

"What's that smell?" McCoy demanded, sniffing the air.

Uhura gestured toward an incense burner. "Coconut and lime," she replied wistfully. "My mom always burned coconut-citrus candles. It reminds me of home."

McCoy folded her into his arms. "Your mom—physically—is doing much better."

"I know."

"She keeps asking, Nyota. She thinks I know."

Uhura let out a heavy sigh. "I know."

"You going to tell her?"

"I think so. I was talking to Spock—the _alternate_ Spock—on Pomonus, and he suggested that I should just tell her, but not give her all the details. Tell her that they died fighting the Borg."

McCoy shrugged. "Well, I guess it's the truth."

"Not the whole truth. But I think she deserves more than that."

They lay in silence for a while, McCoy absentmindedly stroking Uhura's hair, until she spoke up again. "So, you're going to cry at our wedding?" A mischievous smile appeared on her lips.

"Goddamnit," McCoy groaned. "I knew it was a mistake to say that. Second it came out of my mouth."

She laughed. "Don't give me that." Uhura knew quite well that, under the gruff exterior, the ship's CMO was pretty much a teddy bear. "You said it, and you meant it."

McCoy opened his mouth to say something, but Uhura silenced him with a hand. "You don't have to. I was just giving you a hard time."

"Nyota, it's just that—with my first marriage and all, I really—" He sighed.

"Yeah, but I'm not a heinous bitch." She grinned up at him, and he snorted with laughter.

"Seriously, though. No pressure, I'm just curious—have you actually thought about it?"

He gazed down at her and planted a kiss on the top of her head. "I've thought about it. But I'm not getting married after six goddamn months. I'm not Jim."

"Thank God for that," cracked Uhura, wrapping her arms around him, which earned a smile.

xx

The next morning, Uhura and McCoy headed down to the medical bay. McCoy immediately went to gather his surgical staff. They were going to beam to the surface of Pomonus to assist the Vulcan surgeons in removing the Borg cybernetics from the Vulcans and Pomonians that had been assimilated and not killed.  
Uhura, meanwhile, went to her mother's bedside. "Good morning."

"I had bacon and eggs for breakfast this morning," came the reply. "Real food. I'd forgotten how good it tastes."

Smiling, Uhura perched on the edge of the bed. "Technically, that was replicated food. Wait until we get you back to Earth. You'll be in heaven."

Saying nothing, Safiya took her daughter's hand in hers. "Speaking of Heaven." A pause. "You can't hide it from me forever."

She sighed. "Mom—"

"My husband and daughter," she said wistfully, a heavy note in her voice. "I deserve to know."

Uhura closed her eyes. Flashbacks of that day flooded her brain; Anisa's screams, the contrast of her father's blood against the crisp white Niobian terrain. "Anisa," she said, "died trying to save you. She didn't understand. We couldn't stop her. And Dad died trying to save me."

"How did you manage to get out alive?" she demanded.

At this, Nyota couldn't help herself. "I ran. Well—technically, I ran, and then I hijacked a ship to get home." A vague, smug smile crossed her lips.

"You—"

"Held a phaser to the captain's head and demanded that he make Earth his first stop."

"Nyota." Her voice was gentle, reproving.

She shrugged. "They wanted to throw me off the ship. It was my only option."

Safiya leaned back, closing her eyes. "I don't know what I'll do now. For years, all I've known is the Borg. Serve… assimilate… oh, God, how many people have I turned into—into—" Horrified at the thought, she retched, and Uhura provided a garbage can just in time.

"Oh, Nyota." She dabbed at her mouth with a tissue. "What am I going to do?"

"Join Starfleet," came Uhura's automatic answer. "Even if you don't like it, it's a good transition. You can become a communications officer on a starship."

She gave a watery smile. "Like you."

"Every ship needs a staff of xenolinguists," she pressed. "And it's a good transition because you're used to working as a cohesive unit, and while a starship might not be the Collective, it's still a unit that must function as one to survive."

"My little Nyota." She put a hand on her arm. "You have grown."

xx

Sunlight filtered through the thin curtains of Spock's bedroom. Kirk, unused to bright lights in the morning, awoke first, only to find himself entangled in sheets and limbs and blankets, his first officer's warm nose buried in his neck, an arm draped over him. The pads of Spock's fingers surged as they brushed his skin—the Vulcan was dreaming, Kirk knew.

Spock's other hand was resting, rather awkwardly, beneath Jim's face; as a result, images of Spock's dream flickered in and out of Kirk's head. Closing his eyes again, Jim let himself slip into Spock's subconscious.

They sat on an isolated island on an alien world. The same sweltering shade of red tinged the grainy sand and the wispy sky; around them was a thick, hot, dry mass of air. _Vulcan,_ Kirk surmised, feeling a stab of pain at the perceived memory.

The two men sat across from each other at an iron table, a chess board between them, its pieces cut out of a frail and delicate wood. Each piece had been given a intricate design; the queen, for example, came complete with a carved and painted _fleur-de-lis_ on the shaft and settings for small blue gems in the crown.

Dream-Spock extended long fingers and moved a knight, eliminating Jim's jeweled queen. He gave him the Vulcan version of a smug smile, which meant that the corner of his mouth was quirked just a little more sharply than usual.

Dream-Jim calmly selected a rook and slid it into place, lifting a black pawn from the board. "Checkmate," he said smoothly.

Raising an eyebrow, Spock evaluated the chess board. "Well played," he said in an even voice, which Jim knew was code for _How the _hell _didn't I see that obvious move?_

With a smile, Jim reached across the table and met Spock's fingers with his own. "I won," he whispered with a cheeky grin.

"Indeed you have."

"That means we get to try it, right?"

But Jim never found out exactly what "it" was, or what Spock's response would be, since his real Spock's eyes fluttered.

"Aww," Kirk lamented. "C'mon. We were just getting to the best part."

Sleepily, Spock raised an eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?"

"Your dream. I was about to ask you for some sort of sexual favor since I won at chess."

It was then that Spock noticed his hand, tangled up in Kirk's messy hair. "I must have inadvertently melded with you."

"So do _you_ know what I was going to ask?" His tone was playful.

"I am afraid I do not," he replied, but Kirk saw the twitch of his lips. Stretching languorously, Spock squinted against the sunlight. "I have overslept."

"After last night, you deserve it," he remarked with a cheeky smile.

Spock burrowed further into his _adun's_ cool skin. "I am humbled by your high evaluation of my sexual proficiency, Jim."

He chuckled. "Mmm. Vulcan pillow talk."

Spock said nothing, but Kirk felt his mouth quirk up into a half-smirk.

They lounged in bed for some time, which went against Spock's logical nature—_we should be engaged in productive activities during our wakeful hours. _Naturally, Kirk had the perfect comeback to that, and they spent the next hour reprising the previous night's activities, with no argument from Spock.

Finally, with much protesting on Kirk's side, they got dressed and emerged into the afternoon sun. The houses were all quiet and empty, the occupants all busy, either in the learning pods or helping to clean up the settlement.

As they descended into the main area, they saw McCoy exit the Council Hall, wiping his hands on a towel.

"Well, if it isn't the newlyweds," came Bones' dry greeting.

Kirk chuckled. "How's it going?"

"Christ. There's metal everywhere. And one of my goddamn assistants screwed up, forgot to readminister a sedative, and nearly got assimilated himself."

"But they'll survive?"

"Yeah."

"And you're getting along with the other supervising physicians?"

"Yeah. Well, mostly. The Vulcans," he nodded toward Spock, "are goddamn geniuses. I haven't talked to them much 'cause I don't need to. But the Chenari—they're a different story."

"Stupid?"

"No, just stubborn. They didn't believe anything could be done until they saw it. Wouldn't even trust me when Sarek came to show them his cortical node. Had to see it all firsthand."

"When will you be ready to leave?" Kirk wanted to know.

McCoy shrugged. "Later today, probably. If the _Enterprise_ can send a shuttle down, we can load our injured crew and I can finish treating them on the ship. There's no reason to keep them down here."

"Alright. Contact the _Enterprise_ and tell them what you need."

"Got it."

As they parted ways, it hit Kirk that he didn't want to leave so soon. "This feels like my second home now," he said out loud.

Spock tilted his head. "It is."

"Let's go back to the forest."

"Jim," Spock said, dropping his voice to a low whisper, "I do not think I am physically capable of engaging in intercourse twice in the span of two hours—"

"For once in my life," Kirk said, "I am not asking you to sleep with me."

"It is fortunate that I know you well," Spock replied, "or logic would tell me that you are losing interest in my companionship."

"Did you just get sarcastic on my ass, Spock?"

"Perhaps."

Laughing, Kirk ducked into the forest.

Spock, who had a better sense of direction, found their spot under the fuchsias and sat down in the sand.

"I want to remember this spot," Kirk blurted out as he sat down.

Spock raised an eyebrow. "That is illogical, Jim."

"Yeah. I guess it sort of is illogical. It's not like it was a milestone or anything—not like it was our first time."

"You," Spock observed, "are becoming sentimental."

"No, I'm not." But as he said this, he collected some seeds from the teal climbing flowers and deposited them into a jar.

"What is the purpose of collecting seeds?" Spock wanted to know.

"Sulu," came Kirk's excuse, though they both knew better. "You know he'll want something. Plus, it'll be nice to have a little bit of home on the ship."

Spock softened.

xx

Later, when the shuttlecraft had ascended into space with the patients and McCoy on board, Spock and Kirk stood alone on the marriage grounds.

"I wonder," Spock mused, "why T'Pau did not reprimand you for not repeating the traditional Vulcan vows."

"Maybe because I'm human and you're half-human."

"Perhaps."

"Should I have given in?"

"I should have asked for the chance to rephrase mine," Spock replied.

Kirk turned in surprise. "You would have?"

"Never parted," Spock said. "It is my promise. I would follow you to the Borg cube if that was your choice."

"That's not very logical, Spock."

He inclined his head. "Though it may surprise you, I am not known among my people for my flawless logic."

Kirk laughed. "Ready to go?"

"I am."

He pulled out his communicator. "Kirk to _Enterprise. _Beam us up, Scotty."

As they dematerialized, Kirk turned and took one last look at the forest, in hopes that the vision would embed itself into his mind. Then, suddenly, he was back on his starship, and he and Spock were headed back to the bridge.

"Chekov," Kirk ordered, settling into his chair, "set a course for Earth. Time to take Synok back to the Federation."

"Aye, Captain."

Kirk smiled over at Uhura. Her mother sat with her on the bridge, which was against protocol, but who really gave a damn? Enough time had been stolen from them, and Safiya had decided to enlist in Starfleet, so spending some time watching her daughter at work couldn't hurt.

As Sulu put the ship into warp, Spock stared out at the stars with wonder. He knew the science of it—he knew the calculations that kept them from colliding with a star or a planet. But as he glanced at his captain, at his _t'hy'la, _at his Jim, he couldn't help but feel a rush.

Odd as it was, he couldn't help but feel invincible.

--

A/N: **THANK YOU** to everyone who has read, reviewed, supported, given me fluffy little plot bunnies, etc. I love you all and I'm so glad that you enjoyed reading this, because I certainly enjoyed writing it. A couple things:

**I will be re-titling these stories** in this format: _"T'hy'la_ Trilogy, Part Three: Assimilation," etc. Any future one-shot, spin-off, or prequel (!) will be labeled as part of the _T'hy'la_ universe.

A couple of you have expressed interest in my novel. If you want to read it as I write it, contact me through PM and we'll figure out a way. Friending me on Facebook is probably the best route, as I've been posting chapters in notes and tagging people who are interested in the story. Just to give you an idea, readers have compared it to a cross between a Dan Brown novel and V for Vendetta. So if that sort of thing appeals to you, I guess… let me know. haha

Otherwise, thanks again for sticking with me through this whole thing!


	12. Chapter 12

Hi, awesome followers. It's been a while!

Just updating to let you know that "First Contact" now has a prequel.

A long time ago, a few of you expressed interest in:

Seeing a mind meld between Kirk and Spock aboard the _Narada, _since that's the most logical way for Spock to tell Kirk where Captain Pike was being kept

Nero, who is from the future and seems to know a lot about both Kirk and Spock, must know something about their feelings toward each other—or, at least, Spock Prime's feelings for Kirk Prime (that locket!) Since he's hell-bent on seeing all incarnations of Spock suffer, what would happen if he captured them both and hurt Kirk to get a reaction out of Spock?

I combined the two. I've wanted to do a prequel for a long time, especially since First Contact started out as a oneshot—I wanted to have some more background.

So, have "Seeds."

www (dot) fanfiction (dot) net/s/5876287/1/


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